Federal Government Begs SSANU, NASU, NAAT To Suspend Strike

FG has pleaded with the non teaching staff unions in the universities that embarked on strike yesterday to suspend their action in the interest of the nation.

The three University unions, the National
Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, Non Academic Staff Union and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU started a five-day warning strike yesterday over the inability of the Federal Government to implement the 2009 Agreements with the
unions.
The Joint Action Committee, JAC, of the unions in a statement issued in Abuja, stated that the warning strike had become necessary to make government take necessary action to fully implement the 2009 FGN/Non-Teaching Staff Unions Agreements it freely entered into with the unions.

The Federal Government through the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige in a statement appealed to the three unions to suspend their action in the interest of the nation.
Ngige said, “I wish to assure that the Federal Government is ready and willing to fully dialogue with the members of these Trade Unions, operating under the umbrella of Joint Action Committee. Government has already opened an unhindered channel of communication with all stakeholders and shall maintain this.

The Federal Government therefore, expects that the Trade Unions should suspend the strike before the re-scheduled meeting (January 18, 2017) to make way for untrammeled discussions. “It is important for Trade Unions to embrace dialogue in the pursuit and attainment of the economic and social interests of their members anchored on equity and natural justice.
“I hence thought it necessary to remind the
Trade Unions that there is nothing like a “warning strike” in our National Industrial Relations System, NIRS, a strike is a strike and is subject to all the rules governing strike in the world of work.

“Accordingly, the provisions of Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act, CAP. T8, Laws of the
Federation of Nigeria, LFN, 2004, will apply
regarding the law of “no work no pay by workers/employees notwithstanding any other circumstances in any section of the Act.

“Once more, I wish to appeal to the trade unions to embrace dialogue as the Federal Government is fully committed to peaceful resolution of what the unions termed “Full Implementation of 2009 FGN/Non – Teaching Staff Union’s Agreement.”


Source- Punch Nigeria

NASU Strike Slows Down Activities On Campus

Sequential to the announcement of a one week strike by the National bodies of the Non-Academic Staff Union, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and some other pressure groups regarding the non-implementation of the 2009 agreement between the Unions and the Federal Government, the OAU Chapter of these unions have embarked on the 5-day warning demonstration leaving a big void in the operation of several activities of the University.

A visit to the Faculty of Pharmacy revealed that most of the practical classes scheduled could not hold due to the absence of Laboratory attendants in the Faculty, the general Secretariat of the Faculty was also locked.

The Hezekiah Oluwasanmi Library, which is also the place of refuge for many students who have time differences in between lectures, was also not in operation today as its usually wide open doors remained tightly shut throughout. A visit to the several other Faculties further revealed their very much hindered operations.

We hope that the Federal Government would attend to the aggrieved union before the demonstration spirals into a full strike action.

OAU Peeps News Agency Inducts New Members

Miss Adeyemi Adenike

Miss Adebayo Faith

Mr Olaoluwa Joseph

Group Photo of some members of the OAU Peeps Team After the Event

OAU Peeps News Agency on Saturday 14th of January, 2017 inducted new set of members into the Agency.

The event which was held at the Junior Chambers International (JCI) Secretariat in Fajuyi Hall, Obafemi Awolowo University was graced by prominent figures in the business of Campus Journalism on OAU Campus.

Distinguished campus journalists who attended the event include Miss Faith Adebayo (the General Secretary of the Association of Campus Journalists, OAU) and Miss Adeyemi Adenike – the Editor-in-Chief of the Icons News Agency.  Others are Mr Ojelabi Jesujoba (PopeJay), the Editor-in-Chief of OAU Peeps News Agency and Mr Olaoluwa Joseph – the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Megaphone News Agency.

The invited guests at the event spoke at length on the need for the new inductees to imbibe the virtue of true campus journalism in every aspect of their practice.  The new inductees were also admonished to never be part of partisan journalism or be allowed to be used as tools in the hands of some mischief makers.

The new inductees and other campus journalists present were also educated on the etiquettes of true journalism and the need to be truthful in whatever situation they found themselves irrespective of whose ox is gored.

In his welcome address, Mr Ojelabi Jesujoba (PopeJay) welcomed the inductees to the fold and also congratulated them for being worthy enough to be part of the Agency.  He tasked them on the need to take the Agency to greater heights while at the same time enriching themselves in the experience of true Campus Journalism and its embodiments.

Presenting his workshop papers, Mr Joseph Olaoluwa hammered on the need for journalists to always check their facts right before reporting to avoid such flaws that may lead to libels and slanders.  He also advised the inductees to seek information on journalism by reading books and journalism articles and also by attending seminars, workshops and conferences. 

Miss Adenike Adeyemi of the ICONS Organisation, educated the audience about the prospects of turning events into news while analyzing the concepts of planned and unplanned events.

The ACJ-OAU representative at the event, Miss Adebayo Faith admonished the new inductees to be good representatives of the News Agency in particular and of Association of Campus Journalists (ACJ), OAU at large in the course of their journalistic activities.

The program also featured the administration of the Induction Oath to the new inductees by the Deputy Editor-in-Chief (Administration), Mr Adigun Olayemi Paul.

NUASA President Clears Air On Alleged Impeachment

Mr John Sunday

In an exclusive interview with OAU Peeps News Agency, the executive council of the Nigerian Universities Accounting Students Association headed by the President of the association; Mr Sunday John Akpan, has come out to clear the air on the alleged crisis that has rocked the association over the past few days. 


 The President, who was said to have been impeached on Friday, the 13th January 2017 on the basis of a five thousand naira (N5,000) fraud, stated that his said impeachment held no water as no motion was moved in the house to its effect, neither was it backed by a two-third majority of the house as stated by the constitution. He further clarified that the impeachment was a carryover of emotions that emanated from the last elections of the association. In his words, he claimed; “…I was allegedly impeached by the speaker single-handedly, we have a constitution and the constitution states clearly how members of the executive can be relieved of their responsibility as far as the association is concerned but the constitution was not followed and the speaker singlehandedly; without allowing a motion to be moved at the level of the house and a two-third majority and as a matter of fact, it is not an impeachment per say…”.  


 Also commenting on the circumstances that called for the said impeachment, the Chairman of the Investigation Committee, Hon. Ajilore Ayodeji, stated that contrary to what most headlines stated, the President was not guilty of fraud but of misappropriation. According  to the Chairman, who was also a member of the Accounting Students Representative Council, the said N5,000 was an excess from the trip to the OAU Zoo organized in the Freshers week programme of the association which held between the 22nd -27th of August 2016. He further stated the mistake of the President was that rather than reporting the excess back to the House which approved the expense, the President used the funds in the execution of a capital project, which was the installation of a White Marker Board at the recently constructed ICAN Lecture Theatre. Hon. Ajilore affirmed that the executive had to even deep hands into their personal pockets to bulk the funds as the construction of the board cost more than the said N5,000 excess. The Honourable then stated that as the President’s breach of due process was not justifiable, his committee had recommended a more suitable punishment in its report, one not in tandem with the actions of the Speaker. 


 The General Secretary of the Association, Mr Oladejo Ismail, whilst commenting on the issue opined that the issues arising were merely unnecessary expressions of post-election emotions. According to the Secretary, the issue had been duly addressed since its occurrence in the first semester as the President had been made to apologise to the house at its in-house meeting and Staff Advisers of the Association had already interfered in the matter. Mr Oladejo further alleged that the said impeachment was only an attempt by persons in antagonist parties to cog the wheel of progress of the association. He then further appealed to the members of NUASA to continue to participate in the planned programmes of the association as the current issues in the association were only a distraction.

     

 




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Breaking: NYSC 2016 Batch B Stream II Begins Camp January 24

2016 BATCH 'B' (STREAM II) ORIENTATION COURSE COMMENCES 24TH JANUARY 2017

The NYSC Management wishes to inform prospective Corps members and other stakeholders that the 2016 Batch 'B' (Stream II) Orientation course will commence on Tuesday, 24th January, 2017.

The lineup of activities for the course is shown below:

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a. Tue 24th - Wed 25th, Jan 2017- Registration/verification exercise

b. Thursday, 26th January, 2017 - Swearing-in ceremony

c. Monday, 13th February, 2017 - Closing ceremony

Prospective Corps members are advised to report to camp at the scheduled date as registration/verification will end at midnight of January 25, 2017.

All are also to note that original copies of academic credentials and other documents uploaded during the online registration MUST be presented on camp for physical verification.

In addition, all Prospective Corps members MUST present medical certificate from a government or military hospital showing their health status before they will be registered and admitted for the Orientation course.

PRINTING OF CALL-UP LETTERS BY THE 2016 BATCH ‘B’ (STREAM II) PCMs

Further to our earlier announcement, prospective Corps members of the 2016 Batch ‘B’ (Stream II) are hereby informed that the printing of Call-up Letters will commence on Saturday, 21st January, 2017.

Management wishes prospective Corps members safe journey to their respective camps as well as a successful Orientation course.

Thank you.

Management

NASU, SSANU, NAAT To Commence Warning Strike Tomorrow

Non-academic activities in universities will be paralysed for five days  from  tomorrow as the non-teaching staff unions comprising the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, and Non Academic Staff Union, NASU, have threatened to commence on a  warning strike over non implementation of the 2009 agreements the unions entered into with the Federal Government.

Meantime, the Joint Action Committee, JAC, of the three unions have petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over what it described as the   “continued industrial unrest at Federal University of Technology, FUTA, Akure” , urging “decisive government action concerning the University’s Vice Chancellor.”

JAC also wrote to the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, informing him of the resolution of the three unions to embark on the warning strike.

The three university affiliate unions, in a statement in Abuja, listed ten grouse upon which they decided to declare the strike which in their letter to the minister “has become necessary to make government take necessary action to fully implement the 2009 FGN/Non-Teaching Staff Unions Agreements it freely entered into with us.”

According to the statement, “The university system is challenged by poor governance and administrative lapses which need to be addressed holistically. Poor funding of our universities, shortfall in payment of staff salaries, increasing corruption in the university system.”

Also listed as among the problems that required attention of the ago government was “the problem of inadequate physical infrastructure and abandoned projects which they said reduces the capacity and output of her members.

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Other areas that government had allegedly neglected were “the problem of lack of adequate teaching and learning facilities which have reduced the productivity of our members and the non-payment of Earned Allowances being product of the 2009 Agreement.”

JAC said the issue of the Nigerian University Pension Management Commission, NUPEMCO, to resolve the problem of university staff pensions, the non implementation of the National Industrial Court, NIC, judgement on university staff schools and the non-implementation of the negotiated career structure for technologists, CONTISS 14 and 15.

In the letter to Buhari, JAC said that arising from issues of serious disagreement between labour unions in the institution and the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adebiyi Gregory Daramola, there had been continuous industrial unrest.

The letter was signed by Comrades Samson C. Ugwoke, SSANU President, Sani Suleiman, President of NAAT and Chris O. Ani, President of NASU and copied to the ministers of education, labour and employment, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission and President, Nigeria Labour Congress.



Source-  Vanguard

Second Semesters And The "Àiyè Ò Fè" Reality- Pope Jay

Many were the adventures of my first year in the University. As a young abecedarian, I tried as much as possible to become the master of my new environment: I did my best to learn everything; the way to talk and the way not to, the way to walk, the way to look and practically the way to do anything that would save me from the uniformed state in which I was; a state that was so identifiable it even had a taunting nomenclature that accompanied it. The worrisome part of this unavoidable malady of the mind and a factor which actually motivated my attempts to remedy it was that, contrary to popular belief, it could actually transcend one’s first year as a student. I mean, even at the time, I had come across several ignorami who hid under the “FYB” guise and tried to mask their benighted mind with the amount of years they had spent in the university campus.

I did not plan to remain a “bloody fresher” in my sophomore year and even though my efforts at adaptation were hindered by my tight schedule in the first semester, the second semester came with a more lenient timetable. And so I did as much as I could, I was almost at everything; from this department’s week to that Faculty’s day, from this conference to that ceremony and indeed, the “item 7” that often came along with these programmes was also a strong motivating factor. But looking back now, I believe the greatest lesson that came in all my efforts was the reality of the “Àiyè ò fè” concept.

“Àiyè ò fè” is a Yoruba clause that can be literally translated to mean “There is not much space” or better still in the context of its popular use in the Obafemi Awolowo University Campus; “There is no time”. As simple and comical as the three-worded clause may seem, I believe it may carry one of the most important messages that one needs to thrive as a student on the OAU campus.

Time is one concept that although man has been able to successfully quantify, he still has very limited control over. Like Diabetes and some other incurable diseases, we cannot alter it or its flow, we can only manage it. Maybe the entire idea of time management is established on this concept… or maybe not.

Many stale students of OAU would agree that Second semesters are usually very crowded with events, from Elections to other departmental and religious programmes to handing over office. And already, this one is already looking quite eventful, posters and banners are already flying around both the online and offline community. But then again, like I have seen over the years, the “Àiyè ò fè” phenomenon has already started to come to come to reality again.

How else does one describe the fact that we resumed school just yesterday and the 6th Academic Week starts tomorrow?

Pope Jay