CONUA EXPRESSES UTMOST DISPLEASURE TOWARDS FG, THREATENS TO SUE FG.

CONUA voiced its displeasure with the Federal Government, particularly the Ministry of Labour and Employment under the leadership of Dr. Chris Ngige, over the salaries that had been withheld “even when the government knew that the union did not call for strike action and its members were not involved in the strike action that lasted for eight months and which shut down the university system nationwide.”

Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, Dr. Henry Oripeloye, and Dr. Ernest Nwoke, who are the organization’s national president, secretary, and publicity secretary, respectively, signed a statement in which CONUA called out the government for amalgamating it members with members of Asuu who went on the 8-month strike action.

“CONUA formally informed the Federal Government of its non-participation in the strike in a letter written to the Minister of Labor and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, in April 2022. We made it clear in the letter that because CONUA was a distinct and independent union inside the university system, none of our members had requested a strike. CONUA anticipates that the government will effortlessly release our members’ unpaid wages when it starts paying salaries to all university workers again in October 2022 as a result of the express and categorical declaration.

“To our surprise, however, CONUA members were also given pro-rata salaries despite the fact that the strike had effectively prevented us from performing our tasks. The union observed that after the pro-rata payment “We wrote to the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Accountant-General of the Federation to tell them that it was wrong to include our members with those who had declared and started a strike.

According to the union, “from the aforementioned and as a law-abiding union that committed to do things differently, we have resolved to seek legal redress of the illegal withholding of our legitimate salary by taking the matter to court in consonance with the rights established in our laws.”

NATIONAL NEWS – CBN CUTS DOWN CASH WITHDRAWALS TO N100,000 WEEKLY: MOBILE MONEY AGENTS, LAMENTS.

The Central Bank OF Nigeria (CBN) announced the restriction of over-the-counter and ATM Cash withdrawals to #100,000 for individuals and #500,000 for Corporate Organizations respectively, which will become effective on January 9, 2023. This implies that an average Nigerian is limited to the maximum withdrawal of #20,000 per day which sum up to #100,000 naira, a week.

This new development was conveyed yesterday in a circular signed by the Director Banking Supervision Department OF CBN, Mr Haruna Mustafa, to all deposit money banks (DMB) and other financial institutions (OFIs). The Circular stated that “Third-party Chequers above #50,000 shall not be eligible for payment over the counter while the existing limit on #10,000,000 still remain. The CBN also directed the DMB and OFIs to only load this ATM with denominations not higher than #200.

Although, the CBN made provision for individuals to withdraw 5m and corporate organizations to withdraw 10m, once in a month based on certain requirements, the Mobile Money Agents are still not pleased with the announcement made by the ‘top-bank’. Following the declarative of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the President of the Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria raised his uttermost displeasure towards the new policy set to be enacted by the CBN.

The Association is of the strong opinion that this new policy ‘does not hold enough water’ and protested that the new development will dampen business for mobile banking agents. The President of the AMMBA, Mr. Olojo Victor said that the newly announced policy would negatively affect their business and as it would lead to the shutting down of Mobile Money Operations in Nigeria also known as Pos Terminals. He also stressed out how this new policy would be really tough for an average Nigerian due to the fact that Nigeria is still a Cash-dominant Society.

Source: Vanguard News

NATIONAL NEWS – LAGOS SETS DAYS OFF WORK FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES TO OBTAIN THEIR PVC’s

As the election tension continues to rise as the presidential election date of 2023 approaches, the Lagos state government in order to encourage public servants to get their permanent voter’s cards, has declared four workfree days for its workers to collect their Permanent Voters Cards at their respective Local Government/Local Council Development Areas. This announcement was made on Wednesday, January 18, 2022, by Hakeem Muri-Okunola, the state’s Head of Service. He said the work-free period would commence on Tuesday, January 24, and end on Friday, January 27, 2023, for different grade levels of workers in the public service.

“Consequent upon the extension of the collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards by the Independent National Electoral Commission, it is hereby notified for the general information that all public servants who are yet to collect their Permanent Voters’ Cards from designated INEC Centers are encouraged to do so before Sunday, January 29, 2023, as it is a civic responsibility to vote. “To this end, Mr Governor has graciously approved a work-free day to enable public servants to collect their PVCs from their respective local government/local council development areas as presented in the table below,” he said. source : Pulse news

“Actions of Minister of labor and employment, Dr Chris Ngige will destroy federal universities in Nigeria”.

Many Nigerian lectures have staged protests in different parts of the country. The lecturers on Tuesday protested against the no work, no pay policy imposed on them by the federal government following the eight months strike embarked upon by the academic staff union of universities.
They said the actions of the Minister of labor and employment, Dr Chris towards the union will destroy public universities in Nigeria.
Members of ASUU university of Lagos chapter had a rally from the Julius Berger Auditorium of the university premises to the school main gate to protest against the half salary.
Picture credit: Punch newspape

Buhari Approves N134bn Security Allowace for Military Veterans

President Muhammad Buhari has approved 134.7billion nature for the payment of security debarment allowance to all military veterans which was revealed at the launch of 2023 armed forces Remembrance Day Emblem and Appeal fund. He also announced the donation of 10 million naira to the Nigerian legion on behalf of the federal government.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) the inauguration of the emblem appeal fund preceded the meeting the appeal fund preceded the meeting of the federal executive council.

Speaking at the even Buhari pledged the government’s commitment Toto the welfare of veterans by ensuring prompt payments of pensions and entitlements “However, in order to capture all veterans hitherto excluded from the payment of the SDA, I have approved a review of the effective date of the Manual of financial administration for the add Forces Nigeria (MAFA) 2017” Buhari said “Accordingly, I have also approved the sum of 134.749,953,243.69 only for that purpose”

Asuu embarks on a four weeks warning strike

After the long awaited news by students from Asuu following the meeting they had from Saturday through Monday, around 11am a four weeks warning strike was announced by Asuu and it became effective on the 14th of February 2022 over unresolved demands, which they claimed the federal government was reluctant to meet, this strike caused a lot of chaos amongst student across the nation and students are afraid of what comes next after the warning strike. Following the announced warning strike.

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who expressed surprise at the industrial action embarked upon by the university teachers, denied that he had been shunning meetings with the union. However, the minister said if, after several negotiations between ASUU and the government, an agreement was still not reached; it is no longer the fault of the government.

NBC sanctions Channels TV for broadcasting inciting, false and derogatory comments by IPOB leader.

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said that Channels TV is liable to sanctions which could lead to the suspension of its broadcast license and a fine of N5 million for broadcasting an inciting, secessionist, false and derogatory declaration by a leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra on its programme, Politics Today on April 25, 2021.

Gunmen kidnap hotelier in oyo, his wife, three children, and four others, demand a ransom of N15 million.

A hotelier, Mr Olukunle Oyedokun, also known as Agbo; seven of his family members including his wife and three children and a hotel guest have been kidnapped by gunmen at Ajaawa, Oyo State.

THE NATION IS BLEEDING, DEFENCE MINISTER SAYS

The Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi has lamented the state of insecurity in the country, saying that the nation is bleeding. Major-General Magashi made this known on Thursday at the continuation of the special weekly ministerial briefing in Abuja.

Edo invests N6 billion in primary school facilities – SUBEB

Dr Joan Osa Oviawe, Chairman, Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), says the state has invested over N6 billion on infrastructure provision for its public primary schools in the last three years.

The statement was made by Osa-Oviawe on Tuesday during an interactive session with journalists to commemorate the third anniversary of the launch of the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST ).

U.I. V.C: Why Education Minister Adamu Must Act Now!, By Olabisi Deji-Folutile

The 72-year-old University of Ibadan in Nigeria was once again named among the world’s best universities in the Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2021. This time, the top university moved up from its previous ranking as one of the top 600 to the 401-500 range.

Nigeria’s oil output has decreased by 10.25%.

Nigeria’s overall crude oil and condensate output dropped by 10.25 percent from January to October 2020 compared to the same time in 2019, according to the latest data from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. Data contained in the NNPC monthly financial and operational report for November 2020 showed that for the eight months period, total oil and condensate production for January to October 2020 was 553.59 million barrels.

Nigerians react on micro blogging platform, Twitter, as President Buhari travels to London again for medical checkup.

Nigerians on social media have expressed divergent opinions on President Muhammadu Buhari’s trip to London for “routine medical checkup.”

The news of the President’s trip did not go down well with many Nigerians, who described the trip as the highlight of the failure of the Buhari administration.

Delta Police Deploy 5,883 Officers to Churches and Tourist Attractions for Easter

The Commissioner of Police, Delta State, Mr. Ari Mohammed Ali, has ordered the deployment of at least 5,883 police personnel across the state in a bid to ensure a crime and violence-free Easter celebration.

FG TO CLOSE SUB-STANDARD “MUSHROOM” SCHOOLS

By Fagbiye Iyanuoluwa T.

In order to salvage the educational system from the elementary level, federal government has decided to close sub-standard secondary schools. In the release by Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, Minister of State for Education, he said that the Federal Government would form a synergy with states and local governments toward closing down secondary schools found to be sub-standard.

EFCC TO GO CLAMPDOWN ON DOCTORS WHO WRITE FAKE MEDICAL REPORT

By Fagbiye Iyanuoluwa T.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has said she will begin to prosecute doctors that write fake medical reports for persons undergoing trial for corruption. He said this during a press conference in Abuja on Friday. According to him, the commission would henceforth “arrest and prosecute medical practitioners who provide fake medical reports to persons facing trial for corruption.”