Emmanuel Osodeke, president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has dispelled rumours of a fresh strike by lecturers.

The insinuations have been making the rounds following a ruling in favour of the federal government’s ‘no work, no pay’ policy.

Nigeria’s public universities have seen repeated disruptions in academic calendars over the years, with striking lecturers protesting funding deficits, poor conditions of service, and decay in infrastructure.

ASUU embarked on its 16th strike in 23 years in 2022. The strike lasted for eight months.

In September 2022, the National Industrial Court (NIC) stopped ASUU from continuing with the strike, pending the determination of a suit.

The federal government insisted that the lecturers would not be paid for the period they were on strike, due to its ‘no work, no pay’ policy.

On May 30, the court upheld the government’s stance on the matter.

ASUU revisited the issue on August 19 during a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the University of Maiduguri.

Osodeke said the ‘no work, no pay’ policy ignored the fact that only the teaching component of academic work was suspended during the strike.

Reports have been making the rounds that the union is considering a fresh strike over the ruling of the industrial court.

Osodeke while responding, described the reports as “malicious and unfortunate”.

“We never mentioned the issue of another strike. Are we looking to create confusion? I’m just confused,” he said.

Among the issues raised during ASUU’s NEC meeting in Borno were promotion arrears.

The union traced distortions in promotion arrears to the forceful enrollment of academics on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
Osodeke said the job racketeering scandal uncovered in the IPPIS has “eroded university employment tradition”.

He said ASUU received reports of mass exit of academics from public universities due to poor working conditions.

“We call on the new administration to save our nation by rejecting the pervasive neo-liberal policies that have brought untold hardship on academics, the working class, and all underprivileged Nigerians,” Osodeke said.

The Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has reportedly appealed the judgment of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos which ordered him to disclose how over N200 billion public funds were spent by the government of Ifeanyi Okowa.

The funds in dispute flowed to the government from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) fund and from the Federation Accounts.

The judgment was delivered by Justice Daniel Osiagor, following a Freedom of Information suit (FHC/L/CS/803/2019) filed by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

SERAP based its suit on the case of seven year-old Success Adegor, who was sent home because her parents could not afford N900 school fee/levy.

Miss Success was seen in a viral video in March 2019 saying, “No be say I no go pay, dem go flog, flog, flog, dem go tire.”

The trial court had in June 2023 ordered Oborevwori to disclose “details of budgetary allocations and actual spending by the Okowa government between 2015 and 2019, including specific projects carried out to improve primary education in Delta State, and the locations of such projects.”

But on Friday, SERAP tweeted that the trial court judgement has been appealed by the government.

Though it did not state the division of the Court of Appeal where the appeal was filed, it vowed to challenge the appeal when the matter commences.

“Delta State government has filed an appeal against the judgment ordering Okowa government to account for over N200bn education funds and allocations from the Federation Accounts. We’ll see them at the Court of Appeal,” SERAP tweeted.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri has said that the Port Harcourt refinery will be ready by December 2023.

This was stated in an August 25 statement signed by Garba Deen Muhammad, Chief Corporate Communications Officer at NNPCL.

The statement read:

“The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to ending petroleum product importation soon, as efforts are being redoubled to restore the nation’s local refining capacity.
“This was made known by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, during an inspection tour of the rehabilitation work progress at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) Ltd. plant, in Port Harcourt on Friday.
“The Minister, who was in the company of his counterpart, the Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas), Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ambassador Gabriel T. Aduda, and the Group CEO, NNPC Ltd., Mr. Mele Kyari, said considering the level of progress recorded in the PHRC rehabilitation project, the plant will come back on stream by December this year.
“Our objective in coming here today is to ensure that in the next few years, Nigeria stops fuel importation. From what we have seen here today,
“Port Harcourt Refinery will come on board by the end of the year, Warri will come on stream by the end of the first quarter of next year, and Kaduna will also come on board towards the end of next year. If you add that to the Dangote Refinery, we will be able to stop fuel importation, and Nigerians will enjoy the full benefits of deregulation,” the Minister assured.
“The Minister also said he was satisfied with the ongoing rehabilitation work at the Port Harcourt refinery, noting that once all the refineries are back on stream, Nigerians will enjoy a better supply of petroleum products, and foreign exchange will be domesticated, leading to an improved economy.
“Earlier in his remarks, the Group CEO, of NNPC Ltd., Mr. Mele Kyari, said bringing back the refineries to their optimal levels is a national aspiration, and the Company remains focused on delivering that.
“We are aware of our nation’s challenges in terms of fuel supply. But we are not here to give excuses. We are focused on delivering this rehabilitation project, our two other refineries, and all other investments towards revamping the nation’s refining capacity. We are hopeful that in 2024, this country will be a net exporter of petroleum products,” Kyari stated.
“Also speaking, the Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas), Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo said: “We are here to go into the field. Yesterday was the era of subsidies. Today, we don’t have subsidies. Today, people are in a desperate situation to heave a sigh of relief; and see how to live. You all know that petrol is very vital to our economy. All hands must be on deck to ensure that the refineries are working,” he stated.
“During the visit, the two Ministers also participated in the Refineries’ Rehabilitation Steering Committee meeting and held a meeting with the refinery’s Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) Contractors.”

The federal government in 15 months, has reportedly raked in N1.98tn in taxes from Google, Netflix, Facebook, and other foreign companies operating in the country.

The National Bureau of Statistics said the figure includes both Company Income Tax and Value Added Tax.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service noted that the CIT is a 30 percent tax imposed on the profit of companies, while the VAT is a 7.5 percent consumption tax paid for and borne by the final consumer for goods purchased and services rendered.

The Companies Income Tax (Significant Economic Presence) Order of 2020, an amendment of the Finance Act 2019, was issued by the former Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed. The order targeted taxing foreign entities that engage in specific services or digital transactions while having a Significant Economic Presence in Nigeria.

In spite of the complexities encountered in enforcing the law on foreign companies generating income from Nigeria, such companies under the FIRS jurisdiction have collectively paid N1.98 trillion in taxes to the federal government from Q1 2022 to Q1 2023.

Within this time frame, N1.32 trillion was collected through CIT, and N661.93billion through VAT, contributing to the Federal Government’s revenue.

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday promised that his administration would conclude a thorough review of the remuneration templates of judicial officers in the country.

Receiving the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), led by Barrister Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), the President said the battle against corruption necessitates a comprehensive review of the salaries and allowances of judicial officers, an issue that is well known to him, given his landmark success in reforming justice administration in Lagos State.

“We must deal with the review of remuneration if we truly want to fight corruption in the Judiciary. We will look at the cost as well as the consequences,” he said in response to a request by the NBA president.

President Tinubu equally acknowledged the importance of addressing the current vacancies within the Supreme Court, affirming that these vacancies represent obligations that must be fulfilled based on recommendations put forth by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

“Majority of them are on holiday now and when they return, we will take a look at what they have and we will fill the vacancies. It’s a fulfillment of an obligation,” he said.

The President thanked the NBA for extending an invitation to him to declare open the association’s 63rd Annual General Conference this weekend in Abuja.

He acknowledged his privilege of having numerous lawyers as close aides, including the Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, the State Chief of Protocol, Amb. Victor Adeleke, and his Principal Private Secretary, Prince Damilotun Aderemi.

The NBA President, in his remarks, commended the President for appointing very distinguished members of the bar into his cabinet, including Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

...says military intervention not declaration for war

The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Commission) has reiterated the resolve of the regional body to engage military force in restoring the ousted democratically elected President of the Republic of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum to power.

The President of the Commission, Dr. Omar A. Touray, who spoke Friday at a media briefing to clarify the position of ECOWAS in Niger crises, expressed worries that military intervention was fast creeping back into Africa and that it was time to end the contagion.

President Touray assured the people of Niger that the regional body was concerned about their welfare as it worked towards restoring civilian rule and political stability in the country.

The military junta had on July 27, sacked the democratically elected President of the Republic of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, over alleged poverty and impoverishment of the masses. Although the people took to the streets to welcome the military intervention, ECOWAS leadership handed down a seven-day ultimatum to the junta within which to reinstate the ousted Bazoum or risk intervention of whatever form.

At the expiration of the seven days, ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government began a process of finding a peaceful resolution to the impasse amidst calls by various stakeholders to thread with caution so as not to further escalate violence in the region.

But President Touray felt that the current development in the Republic of Niger has added to the list of attempted coups d’état in the region, the reason Heads of State and Government decided that “this is one coup too many and resolved that it was time to end the contagion.”

He added that the situation in Niger was particularly unfortunate as it came at a time the country was doing comparatively well in terms of security and economic growth.

Justifying the planned deployment of military force to reinstate Bazoum, Touray tasked those challenging the legality of the decision of ECOWAS Heads of State need to do more research on the issue.

He frowned that in spite of numerous provisions against military government and sanctions provided in the various articles and chatters in the region, the decision to deploy military against the junta has been taken out of context and repeatedly misrepresented in the media as a declaration of war against Niger Republic or a planned invasion of the country.

“It is even tragic that some influential persons in the community have promoted this narrative which has been hyped in the social media as the gospel truth. These persons have conveniently ignored the strenuous efforts of the community to engage with the junta to reverse the attempted coup.

“For the avoidance of doubt, let me state unequivocally that ECOWAS has neither declared war on the people of Niger nor is there a plan, as it is being purported, to ‘invade’ the country.

“The ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government has only activated a full scale application of sanctions which includes the use of legitimate force to restore constitutional order. Never has ECOWAS indicated it.

“In the interim, the region is employing other elements of its instruments and engaging with the military authorities as can be attested to by the several missions that have been fielded to the country and our joint efforts with our partners, including the African Union and the UN.

“We are hopeful that these diplomatic efforts will yield the desired outcome and make it unnecessary for the deployment of the force. Nonetheless, preparations continue towards making the force ready for deployment.

“Consequently, the technical arms of the decision-making organs, which include the Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff have also been directed to prepare the community enforcement mechanism in case it becomes compelling to deploy the force.”

Touray added that the decision of the Heads of State and Government to activate the clause providing for the application of legitimate force in Niger was reached only after dialogue failed.

“We are deeply concerned about the wellbeing of the people and the country. Historically, military administrations have not demonstrated any capacity to better deal with complex political, social and security challenges.

“Let me reiterate that the decision of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, which is currently chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is to work for the peaceful restoration of civilian rule in Niger Republic without any delay and to use all the instruments at the disposal of ECOWAS towards the attainment of this goal.”

News broke out yesterday of an American actress, Halle Berry finalizing divorce with her husband after almost eight years of marriage. From the divorce documents, Halle Berry is to pay her husband $8000 for child and spousal support on a monthly basis; they are both to share joint legal custody of their nine-year-old son. Halle Berry is to take care of every schooling or extracurricular expense of their son. It doesn’t end there, Hale Berry is to pay her ex-husband 4.3% of every one of her earnings that exceeds two million dollars.

Since this news broke, my phone has been buzzing nonstop with messages from folks who want to confirm how legal or how possible it is for the wife to pay the husband child and spousal support at the course of divorce and if it is the same case down here in Nigeria.

Of course, I understand why people are reacting this way to the news and finding it difficult to believe is because what we mostly hear or see is the case of the men paying child and spousal support to the women in the event of divorce.

Well, it is very possible and as a matter of law and practice that in the event of divorce, the woman can pay the man spousal support. What the court looks at is what is fair to each party; the court determines who contributed what and who earned more in the course of the marriage in order to determine who will earn what in the sharing of the wealth. This implies that the court will have to take note of what was acquired during the marriage. The court will consider the individual’s or each partner’s contribution to the marriage and to the acquisition of those properties or money. 

It is important to note that the court will take into consideration not just the economic or financial contribution but also the moral contribution of each of the partners during the marriage. If one partner had to stay at home, take care of home, take care of the children and provide moral support while the other partner works and makes money, the court will equate the other partner’s staying at home to economic contribution and in the event of divorce it will be unfair to leave a partner who spent his or her time taking care of the home and couldn’t find the time to work with nothing because he or she made no financial or economic contributions to the marriage. 

Sometimes it is even an agreement between the partners. The husband always asks their wives to quit their jobs or stop their work and spend time raising their children. It also happens although in rare cases that the partners will agree that the husband should quit his job and spend the time raising the children. It would be grossly unfair to leave a partner with nothing because he made no financial contribution to the marriage when it was the agreement by the partners for one of the partners not to work. 

Therefore, whilst a woman paying spousal and child support to the man is very obtainable and applicable in Nigeria, why it is rare is that you rarely see a stay-at-home dad who has to stay at home, take care of the home while the woman works and make money but if there is any case where this had happened and the man is able to make his case very well the court will definitely order the wife to pay him spousal support. 

Dangote Industries Limited has emerged as Nigeria’s most valuable brand for the sixth consecutive year. This achievement was confirmed by the brand and marketing firm, TOP 50 BRANDS NIGERIA, as part of its comprehensive 2023 Top Brands perception assessment.

Winning the award for a record 6th time confirms the foremost African indigenous Conglomerate’s unwavering dominance of the domestic brand space.

TOP 50 BRANDS NIGERIA, is a qualitative, non-financial evaluation of top corporate brands in the country.  The annual top brands league table which has become like a report card, with which top corporate brands have a feel of their ranking in the market is done with a special purpose model, the Brand Strength Measurement (BSM Index).

The rating firm in a statement said that Dangote got an impressive aggregate score of 86.2 on the Brand Strength Measurement (BSM) index, reinforcing its position at the forefront. The score reflects the consistent excellence of the brand.

MTN remains a strong contender, securing a close second place with an 85 BSM index score. This year's third and fourth positions are secured by Airtel Nigeria and Globacom, both with BSM index scores of 77.9 and 77 respectively. Interestingly, this reaffirms the prominence of telecom brands, with three out of the top four hailing from this sector. Among the Top 10 brands are Access Bank, Zenith Bank, Coca-Cola, GTCO, and First Bank,

Globacom was adjudged the Most Popular Brand following the outcome of a Top of Mind (TOM) Survey, where respondents mentioned 10 brands that came to their mind or that they could easily recall. This year’s survey had as respondents Chief Marketing Officers and Head of Corporate Communications of major companies across the land.

TOP 50 BRANDS NIGERIA announcing the ratings said, "this annual top brand evaluation provides a qualitative, non-financial assessment of the value of leading corporate brands in the country. It gauges consumers' perceptions of brands and their impact on overall brand strength, using the Brand Strength Measurement (BSM) index—a model designed to assess a brand's ability to deliver on its promises from the consumer's perspective."

In today's market, brands have woven themselves into the fabric of our daily lives, from dawn to dusk and even in every consumer choice. This phenomenon is amplified by the rise of concepts like consumer awareness, differentiation, and the dynamics of the global economy, making brands pivotal actors.

Chief Executive Officer of TOP 50 BRANDS NIGERIA Taiwo Oluboyede, speaking on the outcome of this year’s evaluation, likened brand to a person.  He said, “A brand is like a person with all the traits that define his/her personality to the audience. When you hear someone’s name, you are likely not just going to remember their faces or apparel, but who they really are and what they mean to you.”

“Someone may claim to be the best man in the world, and could even go as far as doing paid advertising to attract attention. However, the real description of the person to you is your experience. Perception about a person could change from like to dislike or the other way round, the same is also true for a brand. That is why promoters go the extra length consistently remain in the target audience like-list” he added.

He elaborated that the onus lies with brand owners and promoters to uphold compelling propositions and consistently deliver on promises. "It's not just about making pledges anyway; it's about steadfastly living up to them—a commitment that separates the top brands from the rest," he stated.

A breakdown of the 2023 evaluation report indicated that Nigerian-owned brands continued to shine among the top 10, with 10 brands. These are Dangote, Globacom, Access Bank, Zenith Bank, GTCO, and  First Bank.

Five of the top ten brands are Banks, while three are Telecoms. Impressively, 9 of the 10 were among the top 10 last year, while 4 maintained their previous position. Airtel Nigeria made a remarkable ascent to third place. Also, six brands have consistently maintained top 10 positions for a remarkable 7 years in a row.

Overall, 26 or 52% of the 50 brands are multinational, while 24 or 48% are Nigerian brands.

Rite Foods Limited stands out as the highest gainer this year, leaping 14 places from 46th to 30th. Notably, Wema Bank makes a noteworthy debut in the annual brand ranking. Furthermore, nine brands maintained their 2022 positions, they are Dangote, MTN Nigeria, GTCO, First Bank, Multichoice, Fidelity, Toyota Nigeria, FMNPLC, and AXA Mansard.

A breakdown of the report indicated that Banking Services, as usual, had the largest entries with 12 entrants, representing 24% of the total. Access Bank topped the category. This is followed by Consumer Goods with 9 brands, that is 18%, with Dufil Prima Foods leading the charge.

The Conglomerates category has 6 brands, making up 12%, with Dangote Group on top. The Oil and gas, Beverages, and Telecom sectors each contribute 4 brands, with Oando, Coca-Cola, and MTN leading their respective categories.

The Insurance sector has 3 brands, with AIICO at the forefront. Meanwhile, the Building & Construction Services, Media, and Electronics categories had 2 brands each, featuring Julius Berger, Multichoice, and Tecno Nigeria leading their respective categories.

Automobile, Agricultural, and Aviation/Logistics sectors had 1 brand each —Toyota Nigeria, Olam International, and Air Peace.

Of note in the report also is a class called Brands to Watch, a set of 10 brands that have shown some level of vibrancy in recent times and are gaining momentum in consumer acquisition with the possibility of achieving the 50 top Brands League Table in few years. It should be noted that, while these brands have considerable mentions in the TOM survey, they were not strictly subjected to the rigorous BSM evaluation.