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VC Blames Union Leaders For Varsity’s Strikes

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3 years ago

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Vice Chancellor of Edo State-owned Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Prof. Sonnie Adagbonyin, has blamed the incessant strikes in the institution on union leaders’ refusal to understand the peculiarities of the university’s operational system.
The VC, who said this in an interview with The Tide’s source in Ekpoma, stated that the state government had never reneged on its financial obligations to the institution.
The source reports that staff unions of the institution embarked on strikes over claim of unpaid salary arrears, among other demands, before the State Government suspended their activities on campus in May.
Adagbonyin explained that the State Government had never failed to release the monthly subvention to the institution.
“We must understand that like all universities, AAU has its own peculiar system of operations. It relies on subvention from the State Government, while the university’s Management augments from fees paid by students.
“And we must emphasise that government has never failed in bringing its own component of the subvention. There is no month that government has reneged in paying subvention to the university.
“The union’s quarrel is that it is not as much as it used to be. But they have also failed to realise that within the university system, our capacity to discipline the resources and all the things that we do also have a role to play in sustaining us as a university.
“That has been the missing link. People just look at the amount government brings and begin to complain. How can this be enough to pay this or salary and can this settle the whole issues on ground.
“I want to say that what has always created a backlog of unpaid salaries is not what government brings. It is not the IGR the university generates. It is the consistency in the fragmentation of academic calendar.
“And I think that it is what offended government to the extent suspending activities of unions in the institution.
“For me, I like the spirit of unionism because of its principle of fundamental rights to take care of members’ welfare.
“But here in AAU, strikes were no longer ideologically centered. Strikes became politicised, which began to negatively affect both academic and social space.
“I hope that unions will begin to see that it is not the number of strikes that make a university grow, but the capacity to recognise that developmental strides can be made when we allow the system work the way it should work”, the VC said.
He VC urged the students to be the ombudsman, challenge and criticise but should know that it couln’t be an alternative to management.
“You can’t begin to take the roles of management. Management is management and unions are unions; Unions should unionise and should allow management to manage affairs of the institution.
“The roles will obviously become conflicting when every decision management takes is challenged by unions.
“He said unions were more important in fighting for members’ welfare, ensuring that there is due diligence in the system.’’
According to the VC, “no responsible management worth its salt should be afraid of that role. But you must know your limitations as unions because you must first subject yourself to constituted authority.
“But when you now begin to think you are the authority because you belong to a union, of course, there will be conflict which will generate to a situation of reckless irresponsibility”.
Meanwhile, the school’s management said it had lifted the suspension on two of its principal staff facing allegations of abuse of office and financial impropriety.
This is contained in a statement by its institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Larry Isiraoje, and made available to The source in Ekpoma.
It said the School’s Special Intervention Team had directed management to lift the suspension on the Provost, College of Medicine and the Acting Dean, faculty of Basic Medical Sciences.
It, however, added that “the investigation of the allegations of abuse of office and financial impropriety made against them is ongoing.”

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PIND, Partners Holds a _3days Workshop On Data-Driven Resilience Planning For Crime Prevention In Port Harcourt

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6 days ago

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November 3, 2025

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The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE), and The Fund for Peace (FFP), has concluded a landmark three-day Niger Delta Scenario Planning Workshop on Resilience in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

L–R: Mr. Abiodun Akanbi, Peacebuilding Coordinator, PIND; Ms. Svenja Ossmann, GIZ ECOWAS Cluster Coordinator; Mr Edekobi Anthony Chukwemeka, Early Warning Analyst, OSPRE; Ms. Amy Gukas, Junior Technical Advisor, GIZ; Mr. Nate Haken, Senior Advisor, Research and Innovation, FFP; and Mr. Afeno Super Odomovo, Senior Peacebuilding Coordinator, PIND at the Niger Delta Scenario Planning Workshop on Resilience in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The program Supported by the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project, co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The workshop brought together over 100 participants from government, civil society, the private sector, academia, traditional authorities, and the media to co-create data-driven strategies for crisis preparedness and regional resilience.

The theme of the three days event “From Risk to Resilience: Building a Future-Ready Niger Delta,” marked a major step in shifting regional approaches from reactive crisis response to proactive resilience planning.

Participants explored how the region can anticipate, adapt to, and recover from climate shocks, insecurity, and governance challenges through collaborative and foresight-based approaches,Using advanced analytical tools such as the Fragile States Index (FSI), State Resilience Index (SRI), and Crisis Sensitivity Simulator (CSS), enhanced by AI-powered risk modeling developed by the Fund for Peace and SAS, participants analyzed systemic risks, developed plausible crisis scenarios, and designed practical response strategies tailored to the Niger Delta’s realities.

Speaking at the occasion,
Executive Director of PIND Foundation. Mr Sam Ogbemi Daibo represented by Mr David Udofia said the workshop demonstrates how data, foresight, and partnerships can transform uncertainty into opportunity, and ensure that resilience becomes a shared responsibility across communities, institutions, and sectors, adding that
the Niger Delta’s future depends on our ability to anticipate challenges rather than merely react to the opportunity.

The initiative convened representatives from NEMA, SEMA, NiMet, HYPREP, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), ministries of environment and agriculture, and civil society networks such as the Partners for Peace (P4P). Delegates from the Regional Peace Council of Ghana’s Northern and Oti regions also participated, fostering cross-border exchange and strengthening regional crisis preparedness across West Africa.

Also speaking,
Senior Advisor for Research & Innovation at FFP, Nate Haken stressed that
this initiative exemplifies how collaboration across government, civil society, and academia can strengthen peace and security,” said Nate Haken, Senior Advisor for Research & Innovation at FFP. “By linking data to decision-making, we are laying the foundation for a resilient Niger Delta and a safer West Africa.”

“Over three days ,participants engaged in contextual analysis, scenario building, and AI-assisted “red teaming” to test response assumptions and develop integrated resilience plans. Key outputs include a Niger Delta Resilience Strategy outlining coordinated crisis preparedness actions, a comprehensive scenario planning report documenting lessons learned, and a replicable methodology adaptable for other regions in Nigeria and across West Africa.”

According to him,These outcomes will be embedded within existing coordination structures, including the Partners for Peace (P4P) network and state-level emergency management systems, ensuring that insights translate into practical action.

According to a representative of OSPRE,
Mr Edkobi Anthony Chukwuemeka
“This process strengthens our capacity to connect early warning with early action, ensuring that preparedness becomes part of how we govern and grow.” The scenario planning workshop stands as a regional model for anticipatory governance, integrating foresight, technology, and cross-sector collaboration into Nigeria’s broader resilience and peacebuilding framework.

As Nigeria and West Africa confront rising climate and security risks, the Niger Delta Scenario Planning Workshop sets a new benchmark for how data-driven foresight, innovation, and inclusive collaboration can transform risk into resilience.

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CRIRS Targets Professional Bodies In 2026 Tax Reforms

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6 days ago

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November 3, 2025

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The Executive Chairman, Cross River State Internal Revenue Service (CRIRS), Mr. Edwin Okon, says professional bodies will be its prime target in 2026 for tax infractions.
Okon disclosed this in Calabar during a training session organised by IRS for selected key tax paying companies across the state.
The IRS boss said the purpose of the training is to enlighten companies on the newly introduced 2025 Tax Reform Act.
The Tide’s source reports that about 50 firms, operating in the state, attended the training.
The theme of the training: “Understanding the New PAYE Framework: Implications and Opportunities”, was used to discuss the practical aspects of the revised Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) system.
According to the Chairman, private firms must do the right thing at the right time by ensuring that they file their returns at the end of every year while for individuals, it’s January 31.
He called on the companies to use the online platform of the service in making their remittances.
He noted that the state’s IRS had been working towards enabling taxpayers to generate their tax clearance from the comfort of their homes.
“By 2026, even if your financial transactions is little as your letterhead, if you are sending instructions to a bank or any financial institution, you must state your Tax Identification Number (TIN).
“Some companies may need to redesign their official letterheads to include their tax identification numbers, as it would become a mandatory requirement”, he explained.
He encouraged organisations to use IRS’s online platform for remittances, sensitise their staff on the importance of compliance, and refuse to give cash to any IRS staff as tax payment.
Delivering a presentation on ‘’Overview of the Nigerian Tax Reform Act 2025″, Mr. Esien Ukorebi, former IRS Chairman in the state, outlined the objectives, key provisions, and compliance models of the new tax law.
He explained that the reform would commence in January, 2026, adding that 97 to 98 percent of Nigerian workers would either pay PAYE or experience reduced PAYE obligations by the time.
“Tax compliance goes beyond payment, it means fulfilling all obligations as required by law, individuals earning below ?30,000 per month are exempted from tax but must still register with the tax authorities”, he explained.
Also speaking, Mr. Daniel Anko, a resource person, emphasised the importance of possessing a valid Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC), whether as an employer or employee.
According to him, while employees’ incomes are taxed monthly, business owners are assessed at the end of the year, after which they have 90 days to file their returns.
Anko added that CRIRS had made tax payment more convenient through digital channels that allowed taxpayers to complete transactions without visiting the tax offices physically.
On her part, the Technical Adviser to the Chairman of CRIRS, Mrs. Lilian Ugbong, spoke on innovations introduced by the Joint Revenue Board (JRB) in implementing the 2025 Act.
She explained that the Joint Tax Board (JTB) had evolved into the JRB, with expanded powers and responsibilities aimed at improving tax compliance and harmonising revenue processes across Nigeria.
“The Act has strengthened the JRB’s authority and enhanced its collaboration with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) to drive tax reforms and increase revenue generation,” she noted.
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Bayelsa Gives Ultimatum To Ogbia Kingdom Over Leadership Tussle

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6 days ago

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November 3, 2025

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Bayelsa State Government has given the Oloibiri Clan of Ogbia Kingdom a 3-week ultimatum to produce the Chairman of the “Ogbia Brotherhood” and other nominees zoned to it to pave way for the inauguration of a new substantive leadership to pilot the affairs of the foremost socio-cultural organization in the state.
Deputy Governor of the State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the directive recently, while presiding over a high-profile meeting with leaders and critical stakeholders of Ogbia extraction, cutting across all the clans of the Kingdom at the Golden Tulip in Yenagoa.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, in a press release by his Media Aide, Mr. Doubara Atasi, emphasized the significance of the Ogbia Brotherhood and urged the present crop of Ogbia leaders and stakeholders not to allow the organization become moribund in their time.
He stated that the Ogbia Brotherhood, founded in 1940, had played pivotal role in promoting the unity and development of Ogbia Kingdom in particular, and Bayelsa State in general, and therefore, must not be allowed to die as a result of personal and parochial interests of a few people in the area.
According to him, the state Governor, Senator Douye Diri, had directed that the lingering leadership conflict in the organization be resolved without any further delay in honour of former President Goodluck Jonathan and most importantly in the best collective interest of the Ogbia people and the state.
To this end, the State’s number two Man urged the people of Oloibiri, one of the clans in Ogbia Kingdom, to close ranks and work within the next three weeks they pleaded for during the meeting to produce the Chairman and other nominees as part of the executives of Ogbia Brotherhood without delay.
He, however, added that government would set machinery in place to ensure the inauguration of the organization’s new leadership with or without their nominees at the end of the ultimatum.
“Ogbia Brotherhood has been a social torchlight that beams the light of unity and development among our people over the years; a very prominent organization, which predates most of us who are here.
”The contributions of the Ogbia Brotherhood to the development of Bayelsa, Nigeria, and the world cannot be overstated. And that is why every reasonable person must make sure that, that light keeps shining. So, we must first of all look for the lubricant to keep that light burning.
“But, unfortunately, for quite sometime it has been going through some leadership problems, which I consider as mere brotherly misunderstanding. So, I want to appeal to our people, particularly the Oloibiri Clan, to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness and give-and-take to resolve the misunderstanding.
“It is in that regard that His Excellency, the Governor, has directed that we must resolve the issues without any further delay. I have always insisted that every problem has a solution. So, we must collectively resolve this misunderstanding”, he said.
Responding to the Oloibiri clan’s appeal, he said, “Government has granted your request for three weeks. But let me make it very clear that whether you succeed or fail to present your nominees at the end of the three weeks, Ogbia Brotherhood would go ahead to inaugurate the already cleared nominees from the other clans.”
Speaking on behalf of the Clan, former Secretary to State Government, Prof. Edmund Allison-Oguru, assured the state government that critical stakeholders of the clan, including Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, would meet to reconcile their differences and present credible individuals to fill its positions in the leadership of Ogbia Brotherhood.
Prof. Allison-Oguru used the opportunity to appreciate the effort of the State Government to resolve the leadership impasse in the Ogbia Brotherhood, which he admitted, has lingered for some time.
The meeting had in attendance members representing the three Ogbia constituencies in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Gabriel Ogbara, Hon. Godknows Obein, and Hon. Richard Ibegu, as well as the Secretary to State Government, Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei and other top government functionaries.
Also in attendance were the Obanobhan of Ogbia Kingdom, His Eminence, King Charles Dumaro Owaba, the Acting Chairman of Ogbia Brotherhood, Dr. Azibaloguo Seibofa, as well as paramount rulers of the various clans and communities in Ogbia Local Government Area.
By: Ariwera  Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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