Business

Working Condition: UNILAG ASUU Embarks On Sensitisation Rally

Published

12 years ago

November 17, 2014

The Academic Staff
Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Lagos chapter, has called on the management of the institution to review their current conditions of service or face an indefinite strike.
The Chairman of the union, Dr Adelaja Odukoya, gave the warning during a sensitisation rally by members of the association on the university’s campus on Wednesday.
Odukoya told journalists on the sidelines that the ASUU members were agitating the non-democratisation of departmental headship and the replacement of the conditions of service.
He said the members were not comfortable with the “no PhD no promotion or confirmation” syndrome instituted by the management of the 52-year-old university.
“What we are doing today is a peaceful sensitisation rally with our members and not a protest.
“ We are going from one department to the other pulling our members for this struggle as we feel.
“We feel we should create awareness around the campus so that management will not say they were taken unawares,” he said.
“This issue has been on ground since four years ago during the era of late Prof. Adetokumbo Sofoluwe.
“During his time, the current Vice-Chancellor was the then Deputy Vice-Chancellor.
“Our members made these issues known to management and held several consultations with them in a bid to look into all of them.
“Since I equally took over leadership in March, these issues have also been in the front burner of my operations as head.
“Until 48 hour ago when I had the last negotiation with management, they kept telling us that they will look into it and yet nothing tangible has come out of it.”
Odukoya said the issues had been tabled before the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the association which, he noted, would be having their meeting from Dec. 6 to Dec. 8, at the University of Lagos.
According to him, in the event of failure to resolve the issues during the period, the members will be left with no choice than to embark on indefinite strike.
“This is a responsible union and that is why we are seeking means of dialogue to resolve the issues before now.
“We wrote to the management informing them of this rally because we do not want to be seen as going against the law or be seen as being violent.
“We are equally mindful of the welfare of our students who are preparing for their examination currently.
“We are not interested in strike. What we are demanding for is that the management should urgently look into all the issues brought before them and come up with a peaceful resolution,” he said.
He noted that other issues such as accumulated leave, arbitrariness in promotion criteria, treating the academic staff like second class citizens of the institution would henceforth be resisted.
Odukoya said that a situation whereby professional grades of lecturers were tied to appointment were also among issues that they were demanding an urgent review.
Addressing the rally, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Research), Prof. Babajide Alo, said that there was no need for the rally as most of the issues brought before management were already being looked into.
Secretary-General, Senior Staff Association of Nigeria University (SSANU), University of Lagos chapter, Mr Ben Anosike, said that members of the association joined the rally in solidarity with their ASUU counterpart.
He noted that issues of such nature must be a concern of all as they were all working towards a common goal.
According to him, the issue of “no PhD, no promotion” that is the case in the institution should be abolished.
“All of us, irrespective of our unions should work in tandem with whatever we are fighting for as a people,” he said.

Business

Boat Mishap Kills Pastor, Wife And Church Members In Brass Water

Published

2 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

A boat accident in Bayelsa state has killed a serving Pastor, Wife and other church members along Brass waterways

The sad incident happened at Odioama in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State when the Pastor, wife and members of his church were in a programme.

?Tide confirmed that the lifeless body of the Pastor’s wife has been found and deposited in a mortuary while the remains of her husband ,the Pastor is yet to be recovered

as search party are still ongoing.

Although the real cause of the boat Mishap is not yet known as at the time of this report, our Correspondent gathered that the identities of the Pastor, wife and church members were not disclosed to the public.

The mishap, Tide gathered occurred on Friday morning when the church members were on a boat transit

The Bayelsa State government and the state police command are yet to issue official statement’s on the sad accident

By: CHINEDU WOSU

Business

Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

Published

2 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Council of Nigeria Civil Service Union has called on the State Government to urgently scrap the contributory pension scheme, describing it as unfavourable to long-serving civil servants in the state.

Chairman of the union, Chukwuka Osuma, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently.

Osuma said the current pension structure has continued to worsen post-retirement hardship for workers.

He noted that the contributory pension scheme had failed to provide adequate retirement security for workers who had spent many years in service, especially those approaching retirement age.

According to him, civil servants who had served for more than 20 years were among the worst affected under the scheme, insisting that many retirees could no longer cope with prevailing economic realities.

He also informed that the Union has made moves to showcase their concerns, pleading with Governor Siminalayi Fubara to abolish the pension policy and introduce a more favourable arrangement for affected workers.

“The union was not opposed to pension reforms, the contributory scheme should only apply to newly employed workers or those with fewer years in service”, he said.

Osuma explained that workers who had already spent decades in the civil service ought to remain under a more secure pension structure capable of guaranteeing stability after retirement.

The labour leader further noted that inflation and the rising cost of living had continued to erode the value of retirement savings, thereby increasing the suffering of pensioners across the country.

He also appealed to the state government to consider extending the years of service in the civil service from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

Osuma argued that such adjustment had become necessary in view of present-day economic realities and changing conditions in the workplace.

The unionist also reviewed that similar policies had already been adopted in some sectors and jurisdictions, expressing optimism that the State could also implement the reforms for the benefit of workers.

He however, commended Governor Fubara for approving an N85,000 minimum wage for workers in the state, noting that the amount was above the national benchmark of N70,000.

Osuma also acknowledged the government’s efforts in the area of workers’ promotions and bonuses, but insisted that pension reforms and extension of years of service remained critical to the long-term welfare and stability of civil servants in Rivers State.

By: King Onunwor

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

7 days ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.

Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.

“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.

The minister noted the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.

According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.

Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.

He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.

“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.

He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.

“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.

Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.

“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.

“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.

She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.

Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).

“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.

“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.