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Members of the Congress of University Academics, CONUA, have called on the Federal Government to pay their withheld three and a half months salaries, third party deductions and Earned Academic Allowances.
The congress, in a statement by the National President, Dr Niyi Sunmonu, also said the promotion arrears of some members had lingered for over seven years and should be looked into.
The body also frowned on the exclusion of its members from the committee that would renegotiate the 2009 agreement university workers entered into with the government.
It said: “The union wishes to once again call the attention of President Bola Tinubu to the continued withholding of the three and a half months salary due to the strike embarked upon by a sister academic staff union in the universities.
“CONUA, as a union, has consistently maintained that it never declared and was not part of the strike. What the government had done was to lump together those who embarked on strike with those who did not!
“This is unjust, and it is tantamount to punishing the innocent along with the guilty. The federal government’s action actually goes against the judgment delivered on July 25, 2023 at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, NICN, which affirmed CONUA as an independent union.
“The President should note that withholding the three and a half months salaries of members of CONUA who neither declared nor participated in any strike, also contravenes Section 43 (1b) of the Trade Disputes Act CAP. T8, which states that ‘where any employer locks out his workers, the workers shall be entitled to wages and any other applicable remuneration for the period of the lock-out and the period of the lock-out shall not prejudicially affect any rights of the workers, being rights dependent on the continuity of period of employment.’’
CONUA also noted that invitation was not extended to it when the renegotiation committee was constituted on Tuesday, October 15, 2024.
It stated further: ‘’The union has submitted protest letters to the minister of education and chairman of the eenegotiation committee, Alhaji Yayale Mahmud Ahmed, while all relevant government agencies such as the Senate president, speaker of the House of Representatives, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, the Chief of Staff, the Attorney General of the Federation and minister of justice, etc, have been copied.
‘’CONUA is, therefore, using this medium to demand for its inclusion in the renegotiation committee, without further delay, as failure to do this will amount to shaving the head of its members in their absence.
“It was discovered that when the payment of the four months (March, April, May and June 2022) salaries out of the seven and a half months of salaries withheld by the government as a result of the strike embarked upon by ASUU was paid, through the presidential prerogative, the third-party deductions for April, May and June 2022 were not released, and they have not been released up till now.”
‘’Information on its whereabouts and when it would be released has not been provided by the federal government. The union is demanding, unequivocally, that the agencies of government involved be directed to immediately release these third-party remittances without further delay.
“Very many academic staff have promotion arrears spanning a period of up to seven years, in some cases. The delay in promotion, in most cases, is not the fault of these concerned academics and it will amount to double jeopardy if, having delayed their promotion, they are also made to suffer untold hardship with the delay in paying the promotion arrears.
‘’This dispiriting state of affairs should be addressed expeditiously to enhance the diligence of the many academics affected by the counter-productive delay in the payment of promotion arrears.
“The federal government agreed to pay the Earned Academic Allowance, EAA, for excess work done by academics in federal universities since the universities are battling with shortage of manpower. This EAA payment was supposed to cover academic sessions from 2008/2009 (Rain Semester) onwards. ‘’The federal government has so far released four tranches of EAA in 2013, 2017, 2021 and 2022. These releases did not cover up to four sessions completely, let alone the entire fourteen and a half (14½) sessions for which the payment is required.
‘’The union is using this medium to demand for the release of the EAA to cover these aforementioned periods and accelerate the optimal employment of more academic.”
On the minimum age for admission into higher institutions, the union advised that it should not start next year, but noted that the policy should be run through all stakeholders connected to education for their inputs before implementation, with a view to strengthening the existing 6-3-3-4 system.
[Vanguard]
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) says a commercial bus driver set ablaze one of its officers while resisting arrest over a violation of traffic regulations.
Adebayo Taofiq, the LASTMA director of public affairs, said the commercial driver and his conductor “brutally attacked” the officer while discharging official duties.
“LASTMA has been made aware of a distressing video showing the driver of a Volkswagen T4 commercial bus, license plate LSD 355 CK, setting both his vehicle and LASTMA officer ablaze in a brazen attempt to evade arrest,” NAN quoted Taofiq to have said.
“This shocking event transpired today (Tuesday), Nov. 5, when the driver resisted arrest with extreme aggression by LASTMA officials.
“The vehicle had been intercepted for violating traffic regulations in the Cele inward Mile 2 area.”
Taofiq said the bus driver and conductor violently resisted arrest, physically assaulted a LASTMA officer, and then doused him with petrol.
He added that the severely burnt LASTMA officer was rushed to a nearby hospital for urgent medical treatment.
The spokesperson implored commercial and private drivers to fully comply with traffic laws and show respect to LASTMA officials’ authority.
“LASTMA will not condone any form of violence or intimidation and will take firm and decisive action against those responsible,” he added.
Seventeen persons, including a commercial bus driver and two conductors, have reportedly died in a road accident in Imo state.
Witnesses said the accident happened on Tuesday after a tipper ran into an 18-seater commercial bus along Orlu road in Owerri, the state capital.
A witness told TheCable that the tipper driver was trying to avoid a pothole when he veered off his lane and collided with the bus, leading to the death of everyone on board.
The tipper driver reportedly sustained severe injuries and was unconscious.
A resident said some bodies of the victims were trapped under the damaged vehicles, while others were recovered and deposited in a morgue.
Okoye Henry, police spokesperson in Imo, was not immediately available for comment when contacted by TheCable for more information on the accident.
In May, about 15 people died and many others were injured after a truck crashed into four buses at the Imo State University (IMSU) junction in Owerri.
Witnesses said the truck collided with vehicles coming in the opposite direction due to a brake failure in the Ugwu-Orji area.
The Ministers of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, his Science, Technology, and Innovation counterpart, Uche Nnaji, and Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, are some of the high-profile government functionaries expected to appear before the House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy on Wednesday.
The Committee, chaired by the member representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Anambra State, Afam Ogene is investigating the utilisation of over $2bn investment and grants for the development of renewable energy sources in Nigeria from 2015 till date.
The committee argued last week that despite the huge grants and investment in the sector, the power supply in the country has continued to worsen.
Scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, 5 and 6 November 2024, the investigative hearing follows the mandate given to the Committee on June 6, 2024, to investigate Ministries, Departments, and Agencies involved in investments, procurement, and receipt of grants for renewable energy sector development.
At the commencement of the investigative hearing on Tuesday, none of the ministers showed up, preferring to send representatives, most of whom were asked to return to their various offices.
Expressing his disappointment at the turnout, Ogene urged the concerned ministers and other government officials to appear before the Committee unfailingly on Wednesday.
The Labour Party lawmaker reminded representatives of invited government officials that the power to summon public officers for investigation is vested in both chambers of the National Assembly.
He said, “Let me state this again: Section 81 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As amended) provides that ‘Each House of the National Assembly shall have power by resolution published in its journal or in the official Gazette of the Government of the Federation to direct an investigation into any matter or thing with respect to which it has the power to make laws.”
He added that this power includes probing into “the conduct of affairs of any person, authority, Ministry or government department charged, or intended to be charged, with the duty of or responsibility for executing or administering monies appropriated or to be appropriated by the National Assembly.”
At the commencement of the hearing, Ogene called on the Budget and Economic Planning to appear before the committee to make his presentation. However, a director in the ministry, Felix Okonkwo, appeared on behalf of the minister.
Asked if he had the mandate of the minister to speak, Okonkwo said, “I can take some responsibilities but not all.”
Not pleased with the remark, Ogene urged him to go back and inform his principal to physically appear on Wednesday.
“Tell your minister to appear before this committee on Wednesday. It is not meant to witch-hunt anybody. A situation where invitations are sent about three times to heads of MDAs and they would still not appear to make their presentations is not acceptable,” he said.
The story was no different when Deputy Director of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Suleiman Abubakar, stood in for the minister.
Asked if he was delegated to speak for the minister, Suleiman said his directorate mandated him to attend the investigative hearing.
Ruling on the development, Ogene said, “You have no locus to stand in for the Minister. He should appear in person on Wednesday. We wrote to the Minister, not a directorate.”
Also expected at the investigative hearing on Wednesday are the Minister of Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Union Bank of Nigeria, Niger Delta Power Holding Company and Union Bank of Nigeria Plc.
The Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, on Tuesday disclosed that President Bola Tinubu ordered the release of the minors facing trial for treason on compassionate grounds.
According to Shettima, there are video and photographic evidence of some of the protesters which were uploaded by the actors themselves.
He lamented that the nation lost over N300 billion from the destruction and halting of economic activities orchestrated by the protesters.
Shettima made this claim while receiving the minors at the Presidential Villa, shortly after their charges were dropped by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
Shettima said, “The President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, instructed the release of the suspect on humanitarian grounds, despite incontrovertible digital video and photographic evidence of the perpetration and actions some of which were uploaded by the actors themselves.
“Regarding this evidence, the President as the father of the nation is giving these young men another chance at becoming responsible citizens who will make a positive impact, in a drive for a better Nigeria.
“I would like to admonish you, young men not to allow yourselves to be used to perpetrate violence and destroy public and private property because over N300 billion was lost in the protests, consisting mainly of private property and loss of business.
“I will urge you, I will advise you, you are our children, to use the opportunity of the President’s magnanimous gesture in ensuring that you overcome and become responsible citizens who will contribute to the growth of the society.
“I will urge our governors and our elected representatives here, that cuts across the political divide, what binds us together as citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria supersedes whatever divides us.
“I will call on our two governors and our representatives into a single cause, and ensure that these subjects are rehabilitated and reintegrated into the fabric of our communities.”
A new terror group, operating in Sokoto State, reportedly pays youths ₦1 million to join in their destructive operation.
The Chairman of Tangaza Local Government Area, Alhaji Isa Salihu Kalenjeni, who disclosed this, said the foreign-based armed religious group occupies five local governments in the state.
Speaking at the reception of Course 33 of the National Defence College, Abuja, who were on a study tour in the state, on Monday, he explained that the group locally known as Lakuwarawa migrated from Libya, Mali and Niger Republic and camped at Tsauni forest.
According to Daily Trust, Kalenjeni also said the Lakuwarawa has “launched one of the deadliest attacks in the area that resulted in the killing of four soldiers on patrol along Gudu road recently.
“They are forcing people to pay Zakkat and at the same time robbing people of their belongings. Just recently, they robbed a shop owner of ₦2 million. They also seized his car and released it after he paid ₦350,000.”
The Tangaza Council Chairman added that the group stole four motorcycles in Balle, the headquarters of Gudu LGA, adding bandits have also joined forces with the terror group.
“They usually come to our communities during the day and go back to the forest in the night. They also have drones which they use in monitoring the movement of security operatives,” Kalenjeni added.
The Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Engr. Idris Gobir, who received Course 33 of the National Defence College, reportedly confirmed Kalenjen’s account.
Gobir said an “assessment carried out indicated that the group possessed sophisticated weapons and their criminal activities were observed in about 5 LGAs of the state.“
NBS Report: 50kg Bag Of Imported Rice surge by 144.77% To Costs ₦120,193 – From ₦49,103 Last Year
AFOLABI
The price of imported high-quality loose rice has surged by 144.77% over the past year, as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
According to the NBS’s latest food price report, the average price of a 50kg bag of imported rice climbed from ₦49,103 in September 2023 to ₦120,193 in September this year.
The cost per kilogram of imported rice rose by 3.21%, increasing from ₦2,329.05 in July to ₦2,403.86 in September. This is a significant jump from ₦982.07 per kilogram a year ago, indicating a more than twofold increase.
Prices for other types of rice have also risen. The cost of loose agricultural rice went up from ₦1,882.39 in July to ₦1,965.64 in September, marking a 4.42% increase.
On a year-over-year basis, this represents a 146.33% rise from ₦797.98. Nasarawa recorded the highest price at ₦3,050.33 per kilogram, while Benue had the lowest at ₦1,314.13.
Broken rice, or Ofada rice, saw a 5.61% increase from ₦2,234.06 in July to ₦2,359.47 in September, resulting in an impressive 213.36% increase over the past year.
The price of locally produced rice is following the same trend, with loose local rice rising by 4.57%, moving from ₦1,831.05 in July to ₦1,914.77 in September.
The persistent rise in rice prices is part of the broader surge in the cost of living across Nigeria, causing concern nationwide.
Additionally, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) prices have also skyrocketed from around ₦175 per litre to between ₦1,000 and ₦1,300 per litre, further impacting the cost of goods and services across the country.
The new Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa has announced the abolishment of the 18-year admission benchmark into tertiary institutions in the country.
This is as he hinted on the possibility of his administration reviewing the nation’s education policy.
The Minister, however, stated there would be no reversal on the federal government’s decision to void over 22,700 degree certificates obtained by Nigerians in some “fake” universities in neighbouring Togo and Benin Republic.
Alausa spoke on Wednesday in his inaugural ministerial press conference which is ongoing in Abuja.
Details later…
Equatorial Guinea; Baltasar Engonga Breaks Silence On Sex Scandal Involving Presidential Relatives
AFOLABI
The embattled Director of Equatorial Guinea’s National Agency for Financial Investigation (ANIF), Baltasar Engonga, has responded to allegations of a massive sex scandal involving hundreds of private recordings, which reportedly include videos of high-profile individuals, including relatives of the country’s president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
The scandal emerged amid a fraud investigation into Engonga’s activities, during which investigators allegedly discovered over 400 explicit videos stored on his computer.
Among the individuals reportedly filmed are members of Equatorial Guinea’s elite, including the president’s sister and close relatives of other officials.
The leaked recordings said to have been consensually filmed, have sparked widespread public outrage and intense scrutiny of the government’s top anti-corruption official.
Responding to the allegations on social media platform X, Engonga denied the authenticity of the videos, attributing the scandal to what he described as the work of “enemies” intent on tarnishing his reputation.
The 54-year-old official dismissed rumours connecting one of the supposed victims to a recent suicide, labelling them as untrue.
The scandal has shaken Equatorial Guinea’s political landscape and raised questions about privacy and misconduct among top officials. Engonga, who was taken into custody following the revelation, continues to deny any involvement as authorities proceed with their investigation.
“I want to tell the People of Equatorial Guinea that those videos are AI edited. My enemies are trying so hard to bring me down
“Ignore the rumours about someone’s death linked to the leaked videos. They’re unfounded”, he said.
Engonga said he had only one wife and six children, adding that she is his hero.
“I only have one wife and my 6 children. They keep me going. We are a happy family. They are my everything.
“If anything ever happens, you are strong enough to guide our children through anything. I trust you completely. You are not just my wife, but my hero”, he added.
Equatorial Guinea has taken a decisive step against misconduct in public office, suspending all officials involved in sexual activities within the premises of the country’s ministries.
Vice President Teodoro Nguema announced the decision on Monday via X (formerly Twitter), warning that the government would enforce “severe measures” against such behaviour.
The statement reads, “Today, we will proceed with the immediate suspension of all officials who have had sexual relations in the offices of the country’s ministries.
“The Government will take severe measures against these acts, since it constitutes a flagrant violation of the Code of Conduct and the Public Ethics Law.
“This action is a decisive step in our policy of zero tolerance towards behaviors that undermine the integrity of the public service.
“Ethics and respect are fundamental in our administration, and we will not allow irresponsible behavior to compromise public trust.
“Responsibility and professionalism must be the pillars of our work as servants of the State.”
In a follow up post on Tuesday, the vice-president said the government would soon implement the installation of surveillance cameras in all government offices.
He said, “We have taken this measure to ensure compliance with the law on public officials and to eradicate improper and illicit behaviour.
“We will not admit any fault that denigrates the integrity of our administration and those who engage in these practices will face drastic measures.”
More...
An Investigating Police Officer, Elizabeth Osikolu, on Monday, told an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, how a housewife, Omolara Alashe, forced a 19-year-old girl (name withheld) to sleep with her husband, Ramoni Lateef, to bear children.
Osikolu, the second prosecution witness, who was led in evidence–in–chief by the state prosecuting counsel, B.T. Boye, leading Bukola Okeowo, narrated this to Justice Rahman Oshodi.
Alashe and Lateef, who are both first and second defendants respectively, are standing trial bordering on conspiracy, rape, sexual assault and stealing, preferred against them by the Lagos State Government.
The witness told the court that the incident happened in 2022 in their residence at Ketu where they relocated after their former house in Ojota was sold.
Osikolu told Justice Oshodi that the mother of the survivor died while they were living at Ojota and the couple offered to accommodate her.
The IPO said that while living with them, the survivor said the couple “always abused her physically whenever she made mistakes.”
She said at other times, “The first defendant would also wake her up at midnight and stripe her naked and the second defendant would have sexual intercourse with her without her consent.
“The first defendant (Omolara) wakes her up in the middle of the night, strips her naked while her husband sleeps with her (survivor).”
She said they were in the sitting room one day “when the first defendant suddenly started beating her up, stripped her naked and inserted her fingers in her vagina without her consent.
“After she was done, she threw out her belongings and seized her ATM card and MTN line and the salary she was making at the time to deny her access to her money”, adding that the last incident was on March 24, 2023.
The IPO further told the court that her investigation also revealed that the couple had a baby who died in October 2022.
She said since then, the first defendant had not been able to conceive again.
“So, they decided that instead of the second defendant getting married again, they would use the survivor to bear children for him.”
Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Lekan Egberongbe, the IPO maintained that the survivor was not lying adding that the first defendant admitted it in her statement.
She told the court that if the survivor consented to the sexual assault, she would not have reported to the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, nor submitted herself to medical examination at Mirabel Centre.
The witness insisted that the survivor couldn’t resist the second defendant because she was intimidated by the first defendant.
However, after listening to the testimony of the IPO, Justice Oshodi adjourned the case to February 3, 2025, for continuation of trial.
The National grid collapsed on Tuesday, November 5, plunging the nation into darkness.
The grid collapsed at about 2.09 pm on Tuesday, making the 10th time such is happening in the year 2024 alone.
Details later…
The minors who were arraigned over their involvement in the #EndBadGovernance protest are meeting with the Vice-President, Sen Kashim Shettima, at the Presidential Villa.
This meeting follows President Bola Tinubu’s directive for all charges against the minors to be withdrawn. The protest, which took place from August 1 to 10, aimed at addressing economic hardship, sparked widespread reaction across the nation.
The minors, part of a larger group of 119 individuals who were initially charged with treason and inciting military action, faced legal proceedings in Abuja.
Their November 1 arraignment drew intense public criticism and international concern, particularly for including minors. Following the public outcry,
Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi instructed the police to hand over the case files, and the federal government announced its intention to discontinue the charges.
On November 5, the Federal High Court in Abuja officially struck out the charges, leading to the release of all 119 detainees.
The case involved two groups, with 76 protesters, including 32 minors, in the first batch and 43 in the second. During the proceedings, M. D. Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions at the Ministry of Justice, informed Justice Egwuatu that the federal government had decided to discontinue the prosecution.
Following the s3x scandal rocking government officials of Equatorial Guinea, the government has restricted its citizens from downloading and sharing multimedia files using mobile data on WhatsApp.
The country’s Director General, National Financial Investigation Agency, Baltasar Engonga, was enmeshed in a sex scandal involving the wives of notable people.
The scandal emerged in the course of a fraud investigation against the 54-year-old Economist which resulted in the search of his house and office on impromptu notice by ANIF officials who came across several CDs that later revealed his sexcapades with different married women.
The over 400 videos reportedly include encounters with high-profile individuals, such as his brother’s wife, his cousin, the sister of the President of Equatorial Guinea, the Director General of Police’s wife, and about 20 of the country’s ministers’ wives, among others.
The footage, discovered in his office, was said to have been recorded with consent and has since been leaked online, causing a media uproar.
However, in a new development on Tuesday, a local news platform, Ahora EG, reported that the citizens have been lamenting their inability to share photos, videos, and audio when using a mobile data connection, leading users to rely exclusively on WiFi networks to share such content.
Speaking with a source, the platform quoted a source as saying, “Should an entire country pay for the actions of a few? The likely decision to restrict access to essential communication functions seems disproportionate and punitive, affecting thousands of users of these platforms who, in addition to serving them for entertainment, also use them for their work and/or educational activities.
“In a world where digitalisation is becoming more and more important, should we shut down our platforms and paralyse our activities due to the actions of a few? Currently, users are forced to rely exclusively on WiFi connections, which not only limits their ability to communicate but also interferes with their daily activities.
“This situation has generated a heated debate among the population, where many believe that the measure seems to be more focused on controlling than facilitating communication,” the report added.
Ahora EG also quoted another querying, “Is it really fair that everyone should suffer the consequences of the actions of a few? The authorities have not yet provided any explanation for the reasons behind this restriction, as well as the duration of the same. At a time when information and communication are more vital than ever, the lack of transparency only aggravates citizens’ concerns.”
Earlier, the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, Teddy Nguema, announced plans to install surveillance cameras in all state body offices.
This sweeping measure is part of an ongoing effort to ensure strict adherence to public service laws and combat misconduct among officials.