Education
ASUU tackles Ngige, says strike continues
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has ruled out any possibility of suspending its six months old strike.
The ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, made the call at a news conference at the University of Abuja, on Tuesday, Osodeke accused the Ministry of Labour and Employment, chaired by Dr Chris Ngige as a “Conciliator” for continuously creating more chaos in the resolution process.
ASUU had on Feb.14, embarked on strike to press home its demand, on the government’s investment in the nation’s university infrastructure, and payment of members’ salaries through the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), among others.
According to ASUU President, the Union will never suspend its strike but ensure it comes to a permanent end to the lingering strike.
“ASUU, therefore, makes bold to say that the Minister of Labour and Employment has taken upon himself the role of unabashed protagonist in our ongoing dispute with the government of Nigeria for some inexplicable reasons.
“Dr Ngige earlier told whoever cared to listen that he was not the employer of university academics and advised the union to march to the Ministry of Education. Nigerians may wish to know why he has suddenly turned around to constitute himself as an impediment to an amicable resolution of the ongoing crisis.
“The union said it remains focused on its goal of making the Nigerian University system internationally competitive and getting its products to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their peers in any part of the world.
“We appreciate the teeming Nigerians for identifying with our vision in this respect and we specifically acknowledge the support and sacrifices of our students (including our members who are running their postgraduate programmes).
“We are as bothered as you are because we share a common interest in the Nigeria project, however, ASUU shall continue to be guided by the sacred canons of integrity, objectivity, and responsibility to which both academics and media practitioners subscribe.
“It is our fervent hope and desire that the current groundswell of interests would culminate in a convergence of solutions to this avoidable crisis in the overall interest of Nigeria Together, we shall win. The struggle continues,” he said.
He maintained that if Ngige meant well as a “conciliator, he won’t be putting roadblocks on the path to completing a process that has dragged for more than five years.
“The Ministry of Labour and Employment, as the chief labour ministry of the country, is principally expected to apprehend disputes between employers and employees with a view to settling such disputes.
“The ministry shall normally await reports of disputes by either side to the disputes for settlement. When the Minister apprehends a dispute, he/she must communicate to the parties or their representatives, his or her own proposal for the resolution of the dispute.
“However, ASUU has always had serious reservations about the claim of “conciliation” by someone who has taken sides in the dispute, or by the unabashed protagonist in the crisis such as the current Minister of Labour and Employment. It is antithetical to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions (98, 151 & 154) on collective bargaining.
“It is against the principle of natural justice and the doctrine of equality for Dr. Ngige who carries himself as if he has personal scores to settle with ASUU and shoots down the Union everywhere it matters to assume the role of conciliator,” he added.
On the issue of funding of public universities, he said it has become the pastime of government officials to talk tough about billions and trillions of naira whenever the thorny issues of education and health sectors’ funding come up for mention.
However, he lamented that various sums of money in the same region which could have been deployed for human capacity development and public good usually develop into the thin air at the end of the day!
“We are, therefore, not surprised the leadership of the Ministry of Labour and Employment could condescend to the point of denigrating the import of massive injection of funds into the University Education sub-sector as they tried to miserably dismiss the vexed issue of funding Nigerian public universities and uplifting the country’s intellectual capital.
“ASUU believes that the idea of the availability of funds is a dynamic process. For instance, the government can mobilize funds from different sources including non-budgetary outlets like stamp duty, GSM and alcoholic taxes.
“We are appalled by the recent calls by top government functionaries at both federal and state levels to establish more universities at a time agencies run by the same Chief Executives are tightly squeezed for funding,” he said.
Reacting to the acclaimed breakaway faction of ASUU, Congress of University Academics (CONUA), Osodeke said the union was not aware of any recognised official faction.
Education
OISD Empowers Teachers with Digital Literacy and AI Skills to Revolutionize Education in Nigeria
The Organization for Innovation and Sustainable Development (OISD) has taken a significant step toward transforming education in Nigeria by organizing a one-day special training on digital literacy for secondary school teachers in Abuja.
The event, held at the OISD Training Centre in Abuja, was designed to equip educators with essential digital skills and increase awareness of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance their teaching impact.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Jamilu Yusuf Dan-Ummah, the Executive Director of OISD, introduced the theme of the program: “Empowering Educators: Advancing Digital Literacy and AI Awareness for Secondary School Impact.” He emphasized the critical role teachers play in shaping the future of education and the need to adapt to the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Mr. Dan-Ummah highlighted that the objective of the training was to bridge the digital gap in classrooms by empowering teachers with the knowledge and tools to integrate digital literacy and AI-driven solutions into their teaching methods.
According to him, educators must stay ahead of technological advancements to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.
“This training is a response to the growing demand for educators who can leverage digital tools and AI to deliver effective learning experiences. Our goal is to ensure that teachers are not just aware of these technologies but are also capable of applying them to improve student outcomes,” Mr. Dan-Ummah stated.
The program brought together secondary school teachers from various schools across Abuja, providing them with hands-on training on essential digital tools, interactive learning platforms, and AI concepts.
Facilitators at the event shared insights on how to use technology to make lessons more engaging, foster critical thinking, and prepare students for a technology-driven world.
The event concluded with participants expressing their appreciation for the training and the actionable insights they gained. Some of the teachers highlighted the importance of continuous capacity-building programs to keep up with emerging educational trends.
Education
Army chief charges junior officers to be enterprising and resourceful
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has charged students of the Junior Course 98 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, to be enterprising, diligent and resourceful.
Oluyede gave the charge while addressing the students at their regimental dinner night on Wednesday in Jaji, Kaduna State.
According to him, possessing the attributes will enable them build successfully on their career and personal lives.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dinner night is one of the major events lined up for the graduation of the students on Friday.
Oluyede said the objective of the college was to develop the professional knowledge and understanding of selected officers to prepare them for staff and command appointments.
He said the officers in the last 23 weeks had learnt some vital concepts like counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations, estimate process and manoeuvring approach to warfare and peace support operations.
“It is also gratifying that you learnt the rudiments of time management, perseverance, determination, team spirit, staff work, and self-confidence and most importantly, discipline while on this course.
“Your leadership, dedication and ability to inspire and guide your teams are essential to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and excellence.
”As junior leaders, you must be able to inspire confidence in subordinates and not lead through intimidation or be overtly coercive.
“Your impact significantly contributes to the overall plan and objectives at the operational and strategic levels, “he said.
The army chief congratulated the students on the successful completion of their course
NAN reports that prizes were given to students who distinguished themselves
Education
Wike backs amendment of TET Fund Act to accommodate Nigerian Law School
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has backed ongoing calls for the amendment of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TET Fund) to accommodate the Nigerian Law School in its interventions.
Wike announced the support at the inauguration of the construction of 10-unit housing staff quarters for the Nigerian Law School, Bwari, Abuja, on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister also handed over seven operation vehicles to the school to improve its operation.
The minister said that the amendment of the TET Fund Act to accommodate the Nigerian Law School was long overdue, considering its contribution to the development of the legal profession.
“This is a professional training school. So, we will give all the necessary support that the Fund be amended for the law school to benefit from its special intervention funds.
“If that happens, I am sure the difference will be clear. The school will have the money it requires to provide critical infrastructure,” he said.
Wile also called for increased budgetary provisions for the Nigerian Law School to enable the school to carry out infrastructural development for quality service delivery.
He explained that the provision of staff quarters and operational vehicles to the law school in Bwari was directed by President Bola Tinubu.
He added that the institution also belongs to the Federal Government, and as such, there was nothing wrong in providing the needed infrastructure to uplift the school.
The minister also promised to build 200-bed male and female hostels for the Nigerian Laws School, Bwari.
According to him, the current hostels are not fit for the training of professional lawyers for the Nigerian legal profession
He said that the funds for the construction of the hostels would be captured in the FCTA’s 2025 budget.
He called on those who might not be happy with the support being given to the judiciary and legal education to wait for their turn.
He said: “If anybody is angry with us, let him wait for his turn. When you become the Minister of FCT, do it for your own profession.
“I am not going to be intimidated by anybody.
“Now that we are in this position, we must contribute to our constituency so that tomorrow, we will be able to say, while we were there, this was our own contribution as far as our constituency, the legal profession is concerned.”
He thanked Tinubu for giving him all the support he needs to succeed as the minister of the FCT.
Also, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, equally frowned at the non-inclusion of the Nigerian Law School as a benefiting institution.
“If you look at the laws setting up TET Fund, the Nigerian Law School is not included, and I think the time has come to amend the Act to include the Nigerian Law School.
“This will enable the school benefit for the TET Fund intervention funds,” he said.
Fagbemi thanked Wike, whom he described as “Mr Project” for all the support to the judiciary and the legal profession.
“Whether or not you like him, you cannot dispute the fact that he is a performer, and one person you will always know where he stands, no matter what, even if you don’t agree with him.
“Another thing is, he does not embark on any project he has no money to complete,” he said.
He appealed to other public office holders to extend a similar gesture to the Nigerian Law School to enable the school to maintain high standards in the training of legal professionals.
On his part, the Director-General, Nigerian Law School, Prof. Isah Chiroma, recalled that he had appealed to Wike for infrastructural support when he assumed office in August 2023.
“This project, is therefore, a promise made and a promise kept. The housing and operational vehicles will go a long way in assisting the school to achieve its mandate,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Richard Dauda, acting Executive Secretary, said that staff quarters would consist of a fully furnished four-bedroom bungalow, and expected to be completed in nine months.
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