President Goodluck Jonathan this afternoon maintained that the protracted over four months’ old strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) would be resolved today.
Jonathan, who took charge of the Federal Government’s negotiations with the lecturers, gave the assurance while shaking hands with the lecturers just before the meeting commenced at the First Lady Conference Room in the Presidential Villa.
Exchanging pleasantries with the team led by ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge, who were already seated with the Leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, Jonathan said: “My president all the problems will be over today , all our children must go back to school”
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has asked the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. MD Abubakar, to ensure the immediate release from unlawful detention of Mrs. ClaraChime, the First Lady of Enugu State who is being held hostage at Government House Enugu by Governor Sullivan Chime, or be dragged to court.
In a letter dated November 1, 2013, Mr. Falana, representing Mrs. Chime, pointed out that his client has been kept incommunicado in solitary confinement for over four months on the directives of Governor Chime.
“Thus our client’s fundamental rights to the dignity of her person, personal liberty, fair hearing, private and family life and freedom of movement guaranteed by the Constitution and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 have been violated without any legal justification,” it said.
Gov. Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State has refused to accent to the local government amendment law 2013, which provides for a one-year term of office for elected executives of the councils.
Al-Makura’s decision is contained in letter read on the floor of the state House of Assembly in Lafia on Monday by the Majority Leader, Godiya Akwashiki (PDP-Nasarawa Eggon East).
According to the governor, it will be ``unrealistic and wasteful'', considering the cost implication of political party activities and conduct of election for elected officers to serve for only one year.
He said due to the paucity of funds in the state, it could not spend almost N1 billion to conduct elections into local government councils.
He said that even the one year would not be enough for aggrieved parties in an election to seek legal redress at tribunals.
• Dismisses Obi’s Panel
The South-East chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Monday reacted angrily to last week's Uke adoration tragedy which claimed the lives of at least 28 people and injured scores of others in Anambra state and banned all political campaigns in churches across the zone.
It also urged the Federal Government to immediately set up a panel of inquiry to investigate the remote causes of the incident, dismissing the inquiry panel set up by Governor Peter Obi of Anambra as amounting to the governor being a judge in his own case.
Five of the seven aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, this afternoon met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his Abeokuta, Ogun State, residence to deliberate on the crises rocking the party.
The governors sighted at Obasanjo’s residence include Aliyu Babangida (Niger), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Muritala Nyako (Adamawa) and Rabiu Kwankwanso (Kano).
Those absent are Governors Abduahmed Fatai (Kwara) and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto).
It was not clear what they came to discuss with Obasanjo but P.M.NEWS gathered that it was not unconnected with the failed efforts to reconcile them with President Goodluck Jonathan.
A major split has hit the Presidency over the decision of President Jonathan to appoint High Chief Raymond Dokpesi as his new Chief of Staff.
Vanguard learnt from competent sources that the President has been confused by close political allies and aides, who have spoken in favour and against the idea of bringing on board the DAAR Communications chief was a member of his kitchen cabinet.
It was learnt that although it was Jonathan, who actually tabbed on Dokpesi to bring on his wealth of experience to bear on his administration and actually mobilised him to reach out to perceived northern political blocks, some well-placed aides and politicians in the ruling party, have asked him to jettison the idea.
The antagonists of Dokpesi, it was learnt, have tried to impress upon the President that it would be better for him to run the race to the end with the current CoS, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, who was also a deputy governor like Jonathan and had shown uncommon loyalty and support to him.
Jalingo – Tragedy enveloped Jalingo, the Taraba State capital in the early hours of Monday when the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Haruna Tsokwa, slumped and died.Tsokwa, who led the team of lawmakers opposed to the resumption of work by ailing Governor Danbaba Suntai despite his plea, is said to have slumped in his house and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre. His corpse was later removed from the FMC Jalingo to Taraba Specialist Hospital.
Before his untimely death, Tsokwa had come under attack by unknown gunmen on his way out of Taraba State. One of his aides was killed in the attack even though Tsokwa escaped unhurt.
OVER three years after the National Minimum Wage Act was passed into law, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, is yet to implement the N18.000 minimum wage for workers of Labour City Transport Service, LCTS.
Not only that, Vanguard investigation revealed that NLC has refused to sanction a condition of service for the workers who have been exposed to unfair practices that labour has been waging war against.
Recall that Vanguard in August reported that the workers were being owed seven months (now eight months) salary arrears thereby inflicting untold hardship and suffering on the workers.
Nigeria’s current leaders, unlike those of the past, are thieves who exploit every available opportunity to enrich themselves, former governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, said yesterday.
The elder statesman who spoke during a visit by civil rights groups on his 77th birthday also blamed the system that controls all aspects of development and the political leadership it produces which encourages prioritisation of self interest above public interest.
“The situation today is such that we have leaders who are really thieves and if you doubt it, let me remind you that anybody who is able to become a councillor in Nigeria or a member of a state House of Assembly or Senate, governor or president ends up serving himself to the extent that he becomes the richest in his constituency”.
The body of the former Chief of General Staff (CGS), Vice Admiral Mike Okhai Akhigbe, arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday.
It was flown from the United States aboard a British Airways aircraft, which landed at 6:15pm.
The body was released to the family, after clearance.
Scores of Nigerian Navy (NN) officers and men were also at the airport to receive the body of the late Naval officer, who died in a New York hospital in the United States.
Akhigbe’s body was moved from a waiting Toyota Hiace ambulance marked HQ NAMC, MMIA, CASEVAC Ambulance, into a wine-coloured Mercedes Benz 4Matic hearse belonging to the MIC, a funeral undertaking firm.
• Total amount released now N1.01tn
• Okonjo-Iweala: Nigeria’s 2013 budget estimates may drop by $12bn
The federal government Sunday announced the release of a total of N160 billion for the fourth quarter of 2013 to further bolster the execution of capital projects captured in the 2013 budget.
The latest figure meant that a total of N1.01 trillion had so far been released for capital projects this year.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, disclosed this said the federal government had previously released N400 billion for the first quarter, N200 billion for the second quarter and N250 billion for the third quarter.
A formidable third force in the South-West which has intensified its efforts towards wresting power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) governments appears to be making headways as it has succeeded in identifying credible materials to use for the coming staggered elections in the zone.
While Ekiti and Osun states will hold their governorship elections next year, elections into the governors’ seats in other states, except Ondo will come up in 2015.
Daily Sun gathered at the weekend that before the end of this month, declaration into the four political parties that made up the third force would be the order of the day.
The parties in the collaborative alliance in the South-West are the Labour Party of Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, Accord Party of former governor Rashidi Ladoja of Oyo State, Social Democratic Party (SDP) of Chief Olu Falae and Action Alliance of former Oyo State information commissioner, Pastor Taiwo Otegbeye.
Anambra State University in Uli has been renamed after the Late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu in celebration of his 80th posthumous birthday.
The Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, announced the renaming in a live broadcast on the television station of the Anambra Broadcasting Service.
He reiterated the commitment of his administration to restoring standards which demand a simultaneous transformation of all sectors and the recognition of role models.
He urged the people of Anambra State to continue to seek ways of making the state a great one.
RATTLED by the absence of Governor Babatunde Fashola at the sitting of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue in Lagos on Friday, Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has berated the governor, whom it alleged, deliberately boycotted the meeting.
But in a swift reaction, the Interim Deputy Spokesman, Lagos State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), Funso Ologunde, said the PDP has once again exhibited inadequate knowledge and mischief over the issue of the national dialogue.
Meanwhile, a 27-man committee assigned with the responsibility of sensitising Tarabans on the need to participate effectively in the forthcoming national dialogue, has been constituted by the Taraba State government.
SEQUEL to a bilateral agreement signed between the Federal Government and the Republic of Uganda last month in which Nigeria renewed its pact to assist the East African country with skilled personnel, the Islamic University Mbale, Uganda, has submitted a written request to the Nigerian authorities for 57 lecturers in various fields of academics.
According to Dr. Pius Osunyikanmi, director general of the Directorate of Technical Aid Corps (TAC), an agency of Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry responsible for implementing the mandate of assisting needing African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries from the vast pool of the country’s human resources, the request was submitted through the Nigerian Embassy in Kampalla.
AS the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress prepares to visit Rivers State on Monday (today), the Peoples Democratic Party has warned that the state Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, should be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order in the state.
The Rivers State Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Felix Obuah, issued this warning on Sunday at the inauguration of the Grassroots Development Intiative in Eleme Local Government Area of the state.
Obuah accused Amaechi, of using state funds to organise a reception for the national leadership of the APC.
The state party chairman also alleged that Amaechi had doled out N500m belonging to the state to neighbouring states to mobilise people from such states to the airport to receive national leaders of the opposition parties.
He suggested that such action by the state governor could cause a breakdown of law and order in the state.
PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan will meet the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities on Monday (today), apparently with a view to resolve the Federal Government-ASUU face-off that has left varsity gates shut since July 1.
But the union said it had got wind of Presidency’s plan to direct that universities be reopened, saying such directive without amicable resolution of the current strike would deepen the crisis.
Chairman of ASUU, University of Uyo chapter, Dr. Nwachukwu Anyim, said this in a statement in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Sunday, saying that the union leaders were invited by the President.
Anyim said the invitation by Jonathan should ordinarily inspired hopes that the four-month-old strike by the lectures would soon end but that the union needed to be cautious in its optimism.
About a month after the Nigerian Police, Airport Command paraded three teenagers for attempting to stow away at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, another attempt was foiled on Sunday.
The stowaway, a teenager, was apprehended at the airside of the airport as he tried to sneak into an Allied Air Cargo aircraft that was preparing to embark on a flight out of the airport.
The teenager, whose name could not be ascertained as at the time of compiling this report was immediately spotted by the airside staff of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company who were handling the aircraft.
Our correspondent gathered that he was handed over to the security of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, on arrest.
The management of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) yesterday said there would be rationing of power supply for six days beginning from today till Saturday –– no thanks to reduction of power generation output by 400 megawatts.
According to a statement by TCN, this is due to the Shell Petroleum Development Company’s (SPDC’s) scheduled maintenance on Okoloma gas plant supplying gas to Afam VI Power Plant, leading to the shutdown of the power plant.
