News
ASUU Strike: Hope Dims On Varsities Resumption
Resolution of current face-off between Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and Federal Government may take longer time than anticipated as the union yesterday walked out on the National Assembly Joint Committees on Education, Ministers of Education, Labour and Productivity.
The union walked out on the Federal Government delegates, led by Minister of Education, Ruqqayatu Rufa’i, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Nwogu, and National Assembly, during a meeting convened by the lawmakers to help resolve the dispute between ASUU and Federal Government
The problem started when the ASUU members were told to wait a while, to allow the lawmakers and the ministers clear outstanding issues with the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP).
This did not go down well with ASUU and the academics left the National Assembly.
Amidst surprise and confusion, the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Aminu Suleiman, suggested the meeting be suspended and a new date be fixed, and communicated to the union’s representatives.
He said the efforts are not just for the Federal Government, the ministers, the senators or the ASUU members, but for the interest of the students who have been kept out of school since the strike started.
The former chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Education, Farouk Lawan, expressed displeasure over the union members’ action, and made it clear that they do not deserve such treatment as lawmakers.
He, therefore, suggested that the committees’ chairmen should write a warning letter to the union to avoid a repeat of the incident.
The meeting was adjourned indefinitely through a notice by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Education, Uche Chukwumerije.
ASUU had been on strike since last week, over the inability of the Federal Government to meet the agreements it reached with the union since 2009.
In another development, the committees were able to resolve the strike embarked by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), as the union, after meeting with the lawmakers and the Federal Government delegates, agreed to end its seven-week old strike.
It would be recalled that polytechnic lecturers in the country under the aegis of ASUP, have been on strike for the past 70 days.
After the meeting with aggrieved lecturers of the polytechnics, the National President of ASUP, Chibuzor Asomugha, said that the polytechnic lecturers would do all within their ambits to call off the strike as soon as possible.
His words: “We will try everything within our ambit to do the needful and do the biddings of the National Assembly on the need for us to call off the strike soonest.”
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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