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Strike: ASUU Invades Anti-Corruption Event …Stops Soyinka, Ezekwesili From Speaking … As Health Workers Threaten Nationwide Strike
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja chapter yesterday prevented Noble Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (Rtd) and former Education Minister, Dr Oby Ezekwesili from speaking at an anti-corruption event.
The union led by its chairman, Dr Kasim Umaru, disrupted the event held at the University of Abuja.
Umaru told our correspondent in a telephone interview on Wednesday that they disrupted the programme because of the ongoing strike, adding that they have no regret for their actions.
He said such magnitude of programme could not hold in the institution because lecturers were also involved in the event.
“Those eminent personalities for the programme are all aware of our plight and did nothing, we disrupted the event because we are on strike,” he said.
The convener of the event and National Coordinator of African Initiative Against Corruption and Exam Malpractice AFICEM, Dr Francis Abioye regretted the action of the ASUU, saying they erred by disrupting the event.
Abioye said the management of the university had earlier approved the institution’s auditorium as venue for the anti corruption programme.
He said the programme was not an academic event, but was organized to educate Nigerians especially students against corruption and related cases.
In his remarks, the university Students’ Union Government (SUG), President, Mr Chizurum Anabaronye said the development was regrettable and disappointing.
“It is unfortunate because students would have benefited immensely in the programme considering the personalities involved in the programme.
“Wole Soyinka is a person every student wants to see and the only opportunity to hear him speak was disrupted, we mobilized the students for the event but later communicated to them on the development,” he said.
One of the facilitators and Osun High Court Judge, Justice Oloyode Folahanmi, who also spoke to NAN said AFICEM planned to celebrate the 2018 anti corruption day with a lecture on the ‘Benefits of Examination Ethics’ which was disrupted.
“The Noble Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka, other eminent persons and myself were to speak to Nigerian students on the need to abide by the rules guiding examination ethics.
“We are partners in progress, we feel the plight of ASUU and we want to fix Nigerian problem so it was wrong to disrupt the programme,” he said.
While calling on FG to address the demands of ASUU, Folahanmi said the reason for targeting students was because of the belief that quest for societal regeneration must begin with the youths.
Meanwhile, health workers across the nation have threatened to embark on an indefinite strike over the federal government’s failure to keep its promise of prompt payment of salary arrears and other allowances owed them.
The workers, under the aegis of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), issued the warning yesterday at the end of the 45th session of their National Executive Council meeting in Abuja.
Briefing journalists at the end of the meeting, President of the union, Josiah Biobelemoye, said government’s perennial failure to honour agreements entered with the union informed the resolution to shutdown health facilities and embark on the industrial action any moment from today.
Though Biobelomoye did not announce any date for the commencement of the strike, he urged the public to hold the government responsible for any inconvenience that may be experienced during the period. He said: “Comrades, we have to prepare ourselves. We will no longer take that deceitful story of ‘there is no money.’
“It is our view that corruption cannot be fought when injustice is not addressed. If the same ministry of health can appropriate to pay illegal items such as skipping to the medical doctors who are not even entitled to such benefit, there is no reason they should tell us skipping allowance for other health workers has been abrogated.
“Can the Federal Executive Council quash the ruling of any court? The court has ruled that we should be paid skipping allowance.
If the government believes in the rule of law, then it just has to pay us that money because it has paid those who are not even entitled to it.
“Although the Income and Wages Commission had advised that these people (doctors) are not entitled to this money, don’t pay them, they same government, the same ministry of health who claim there is no money to pay us still went ahead to pay them (doctors).
“Unless we agree to take our destiny in our hands, nobody in that ministry will give us what is due to us. We call on Nigerians to have this understanding with us when the time comes.” Speaking also, the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, who is also a member of the union, called on health workers across the country to unite together in pursuit of a common interest.
He also condemned the idea of privatizing the health sector by some Nigerians, describing the idea as anti-masses.
“Anybody that tells me that privatising the health care will make it better, it is false. What have become of the privatisation of the power sector? We have seen it as exploitation,” Wabba said.
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
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.