A cross section of students have appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), to suspend its seven months old strike.
They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews on Thursday that it was time for the union to suspend the strike and move for amicable settlement with the Federal Government.
Miss Bisola Aina, a 300 level student of Ekiti State University (EKSU), said calling off the strike was long overdue because the Federal Government was not yielding to their demands.
Aina appealed to members of the union to suspend the strike and allow the government to come with its proposal on how their demands would be meant.
She said that many of them have been stranded, idle and frustrated staying at home.
Kayode Oni, a 200 level student of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, urged both ASUU and Federal Government to find a lasting solution to end the strike.
Oni explained that the students are beginning to get angry with the lecturer for not listening to the proposal by the government.
“We are tired and angry with our lecturers’ behaviours for not accepting the proposal by the Federal Government.
“I want to appeal to ASUU to suspend its prolonged strike and allow us resume to our various universities without any further delay,” he said.
Bayo Fatoki, a 400 level student of University of Jos, said that the lecturers are equally suffering but the students are suffering the most.
Fatoki said that if not for the strike, he ought to have graduated because he had finished his project and waiting for his final examination.
“I want to appeal to the Federal Government, ASUU and stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the prolonged strike,” he added.
Miss Omowunmi Ojo, a 200 level student of the University of Ibadan, said the deplorable condition of education in Nigeria calls for urgent intervention by the Federal Government.
Ojo said that many youths have lost faith in the political leaders and ASUU because it appears that they are after their personal gains.
She urged both parties to resolve their differences and end the prolonged strike for the interest of the students, who have been abandoned and frustrated.
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FACTS I have uncovered from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) show that Labour Party’s Peter Obi may become Nigeria’s president next year by default because Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar, candidates for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) respectively, have violated the Electoral Act 2022, which may cause them to be disqualified if Obi sues them.
The Electoral Act 2022 requires political parties to notify INEC of their intent to conduct primary elections at least 21 days before the date of their convention. It also requires parties to submit their membership registers to it at least 30 days before their primary election. The APC didn’t meet the first requirement and the PDP failed the second requirement. The Labour Party met both.
Documents an INEC insider shared with me (which you can find on my blog at www.farooqkperogi.com) show that the APC didn’t notify INEC of its intent to conduct its primary election 21 days before its convention. Section 82 of the Electoral Acts says the penalty for this infraction is outright disqualification of the candidates of political parties.
Section 82 (1) of the Electoral Act 2022 says, “Every political party shall give the Commission at least 21 days’ notice of any convention, congress, conference, or meeting which is convened for the purpose of ‘merger’ and electing members of its executive committees, other governing bodies or nominating candidates for any of the positions specified under this Act.”
Subsection (5) then says, “Failure of a political party to notify the Commission as stated in subsection (1) shall render the convention, congress, conference, or meeting invalid.” An invalid convention can’t produce a valid candidate.
Now, let’s look at how the APC, the PDP, and the Labour Party fared in their observance of this requirement of the Electoral Act.
Records at INEC show that the APC notified INEC of its intent to hold its convention on May 23, 2022 (before INEC granted it an unfair extension, which other parties also benefited from) and held its convention on June 8. That’s just 17 days’ notice, which falls short of the 21 days’ notice the Electoral Act 2022 requires.
Based on its May 23 letter to INEC of its schedule of primaries, the APC’s June 8 primary election is invalid in the eye of the Electoral Act 2022, and Bola Tinubu may be disqualified if he’s sued.
Unlike the APC, however, the PDP did give INEC more than 21 days’ notice prior to the conduct of its presidential primaries. It notified INEC of its intention to conduct its primary election on May 4 and conducted its primary election on May 28. That’s about 25 days’ notice, which puts it in the clear on this provision.
The Labour Party, like the PDP, complied with the requirements of Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act 2022. It notified INEC of its intent to conduct its primaries on March 9, 2022, and held its convention on May 30. That’s more than 80 days’ notice.
Then Section 77 (2) of the Electoral Act 2022 mandates political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC at least 30 days before the conduct of their primary elections.
It says, “Every political party shall maintain a register of its members in both hard and soft copy.” Subsection 3 also says, “Each political party shall make such register available to the Commission not later than 30 days before the date fixed for the party primaries, congresses or convention.”
The penalty for failure to abide by this provision of the Electoral Act is exclusion from participation in elections of the candidates of the political parties that infract the provision. Section 84 (13) Electoral Act 2022 says, “Where a political party fails to comply with the provisions of this Act in the conduct of its primaries, its candidate for that election shall not be included in that election for the particular position in issue.”
Now, let’s see how the APC, the PDP, and the Labour Party fared in this provision of the Electoral Act.
The APC submitted its membership register to INEC on 25 April and conducted its primary election on June 8. That’s clearly more than 30 days. So, it’s in the clear here.
But the PDP fell afoul of Section (3) of the Electoral Act 2022. Although an INEC document titled “Table of Submission by 18 Political Parties” shows that the PDP submitted its membership register to INEC on April 29, which would make it exactly 30 days since it conducted its convention on May 28, the PDP’s series of correspondence with INEC that an insider shared with me indicates that the party submitted its register in four installments, with the earliest being May 3. May 3 to May 28 is less than 30 days.
The last correspondence the PDP had with INEC over its membership register is dated May 18. So, technically, the PDP didn’t turn in its complete membership register to INEC until May 18. The Electoral Act makes no provision for a bit-by-bit submission of membership register.
The Labour Party abided by this provision of the Electoral Act. It submitted its membership register to INEC on April 25, which is more than 30 days before its convention, which was held on May 30.
Unfortunately, INEC erred in not notifying the APC and the PDP that their primary elections—and their candidates for election— were invalid because they flouted the Electoral Act. INEC erred even further by going ahead to publish the names of people who emerged from invalid primaries even when the Electoral Act mandates it to not include the names of candidates who run afoul of the Electoral Act.
Section 29 (1) of the Electoral Act 2022 says, “Every political party shall, not later than 180 days before the date appointed for a general election under this Act, submit to the Commission, in the prescribed Forms, the list of the candidates the party proposes to sponsor at the elections, who must have emerged from valid primaries conducted by the political party.”
Subsection 3 says, “The Commission shall, within seven days of receipt of the personal particulars of the candidates, publish same in the constituency where the candidate intends to contest the election.”
As I have shown, the candidates for both the APC and the PDP did not emerge “from valid primaries” because they contravened significant provisions of the Electoral Act that rendered their elections void. Yet INEC went ahead to publish the particulars of candidates for president and the National Assembly on June 24.
In other words, even INEC is in violation of the Electoral Act 2022, and this isn’t the first time it is. In its entanglements with the Ahmed Lawan and Godswill Akpabio senatorial nomination fraud, INEC also refused to exercise its power of rejection.
Section 84 subsection 13 of the Electoral Act 2022 empowers INEC to write to political parties and alert them to the fact that the names they sent to it were inconsistent with the reports of the primary elections monitored by its staff. Had INEC done this, it would have obviated the need for litigation by candidates who have been shortchanged by their parties.
In response to an explosive and credible July 8 Sahara Reporters story (with which I was familiar days before Sahara Reporters published it) titled “Nigerian Electoral Body, INEC Succumbs to Pressure from Ruling APC to recognize Senate President Lawan as Yobe Senatorial Candidate, Moves to Destroy Electoral Commissioner’s Report,” INEC’s Festus Okoye issued a statement where he, among other things, claimed that INEC stood by the reports of its state monitors.
That was obviously not exactly true. One, if INEC did, it would have rejected names sent to it that were at variance with the names their staff recorded and certified. Second, the INEC headquarters in Abuja would not have denied Resident Electoral Commissioners the power to issue Certified True Copies (CTC) of primary elections. CTCs are centralized to Abuja creating needless bottlenecks in the process because, an INEC insider told me, it’s a conduit for corruption.
Anyway, section 285 of the constitution (4th alteration, no. 21) empowers any “aspirant who complains that any of the provisions of the Electoral Act” has been violated to seek redress in a court of law. Subsection b specifically confers the right on aspirants to sue if INEC violates the Electoral Act, which it serially has, “in respect of the selection or nomination of candidates and participation in an election.”
Subsection C extends that right to political parties. The Electoral Act itself gives candidates and political parties the right to sue to seek redress if the law has been violated.
So, if either the APC’s Bola Tinubu or the PDP’s Atiku Abubakar wins the 2023 election, their victory would be invalidated by the courts, and Labour Party’s Peter Obi may be declared president by default since he is likely to be in the top three performers in the presidential contest.
Of course, either Peter Obi or the Labour Party has to sue first for this to happen. And, although the invalidation of Tinubu’s and Atiku’s candidature by the court is a slam dunk, neither INEC, which should supply the evidence, nor the judiciary, which will give the judgement, is reliable. But the evidence is reliably strong. I have all the documents.
The Prof. Nimi Briggs-led committee set up the Federal Government to renegotiate the 2009 Agreement signed by the government with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and put an end to the ongoing industrial action by the union has failed to meet the three-month time frame given it by the FG to conclude its assignment.
The committee, which was inaugurated by the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, on March 7 this year, was given three months to conclude its assignment.
It was gathered that Adamu gave the committee the go ahead to continue its negotiation with the union since there seemed to be some progress even though nothing concrete was agreed to within the time limit.
Therefore, the committee is expected to continue the negotiation with the union later this week after the public holiday.
When contacted, the National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, confirmed that his union would still meet with the committee later in the week.
“We have been meeting and we are still going to meet later in the week after the public holiday. We are always available for meetings and negotiations. If the committee was given a time frame within which to work, that is not an issue that should bother us,” he said.
Asked whether any progress has been made so far in the course of their meetings, Osodeke replied in the affirmative, but added that in due course whatever they arrive at would be made public.
Also speaking in a phone chat with our correspodent, Briggs explained that the outcome of the renegotiation would be made public at the appropriate time.
Recall that Adamu inaugurated the committee to find a lasting solution to the incessant strike by ASUU and other staff unions in the university sector following the inability of the government to implement some aspects of the 2009 Agreement signed by the two parties.
The government is blaming the paucity of funds for the inability to implement some aspects of the deal, while the union is accusing the government of not getting its priorities right.
The Briggs Committee also has as members the Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Wukari, Lawrence Ngbale (representing North East); Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, Prof. Funmi Togunu-Bickersteth (South West) and Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Lokoja, Sen, Chris Adighije (South East).
The Pro-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof. Olu Obafemi (represents North Central); Pro-Chancellor, Kano State University of Science and Technology, Prof. Zubairu Iliyasu (North West); and Pro-Chancellor, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Matthew Seiyefa (South South).
ASUU has been on strike since February 14 this year over the adoption of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System, IPPIS, as the payment system in the university sector, poor funding of the sector, non-payment of salaries and allowances of some members, the inability of the government to also pay Earned Academic Allowance, proliferation of universities among others.
Soun, Olubadan and Alaafin: The Fall of Iroko Trees
( Busy Brain Writes from Offa, Kwara State )
On Friday, 22nd of April, 2022, the whole of Southwest was thrown into a somber and forlorn mood over the demise of a great king of Oyo kingdom, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi lll, the 46th Alaafin Oyo, Iku baba yeye. His death was made known to the public through social media early Saturday, at the initial stage, his death was assumed to be a rumor as a result of the controversial nature of social media and the persistent carriers of fake news. In the twinkle of an eye, the rumored death turned into reality, it was confirmed that Alaafin had gone to roost at Baara, an abode of his ancestors. It was shocking and unbelievable. An iroko tree fell till the day of resurrection.
Alaafin’s death at 83 still looks shocking like one at a tender age. After storming on a clip where he was doing boxing exercise, his agile looks and stamina were a replica of baba at 40. He punched the bag with vim and vigor, with a mixture of road walk exercise. His fitness corroborated his eulogy as omo iku tii iku o le pa ( son of death that can not be killed by death ) omo aarun ti run o le se (son of ailment that can never be captured by diseases). Amidst other eulogies, these two remain an emblem of strength, virility and agility.
History will never forget a king who turns his subject into a gold mine, Alaafin engraved his name on the pages of history where those who made change possible can never be forgotten. He accommodated all and sundry, the medievals and geriatrics, men and women and will never rush to make jabberwocky headlines in the media. His relentless efforts for peaceful coexistence among Yorubas, South west, and Nigeria were conspicuous, very visible to the blind, and audible to the deaf. He came, he saw, he conquered as long-serving Alaafin…the iku baba yeye of Oyo kingdom.
Oba Adeyemi’s vacuum in Yoruba land will not only be missed but be tedious to be refilled. As a top-notch and respected monarch, he knew the value of peace, harmony and handled controversial issues with the touch of diplomacy and pragmatism. He strived to unite the Yoruba race and settled discord capable of tearing Yorubas apart.
Throughout his reign, Oba Adeyemi never fan the ember of discord and disunity. He watched his public utterances on matters of national interest not as a coward but as a custodian of peace. He knew where to talk tough and where to administer calmness. He condescended by leaving his resplendent throne to attend events of other monarchs in their towns. The first time and last time I saw him was during Asiwaju of Offa installation at Olofa’s palace. He led by example. He loved his people, his subject, and the Yoruba race under his watch.
Southwest and particularly, Oyo State in less than six months had witnessed the unpalatable death of royal fathers of notable ancient towns. It is as if the monarchs in Yoruba land had a meeting to bid their subjects farewell intermittently. Very swift and the rhythm of death is unfriendly. It gong sounds painful and not sonorous to the ears. It is a pity.
In December 2021, the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Jimoh Oyewumi Ajagungbade lll joined his ancestors at age of 95 years after reigning for 48 years and 22 days after which was January 2022, Oba Olubadan followed suit, and now, Alaafin joined. The rampage of death of top-notch monarchs in the southwest, Oyo State will create a great vacuum, their gourd of deep-rooted knowledge, wisdom, understanding of rich history, culture, the landmass of Yoruba kingdoms will be dearly missed.
Olubadan, Soun, and Alaafin have tried their best and left the rest for others; nevertheless, they should inform Awolowo, Akintola, and others that their children are still at loggerheads for the Presidential ticket… Their offsprings who once acted as father and son have been denying themselves on the verge of actualizing their interests. Tell Baba Awoo that Yorubas are still in caucus; not in unity.
May your souls continue to rest in peace…The iroko trees of Yoruba kingdoms. Adieu!
Busy Brain’s works had featured on Vreporters, Nigerian Tribune, The Nation, Vanguard, Newsexpress, Daily Trust, Osun Defender among others
You can follow on: Twitter: BusyBraincom1 Instagram: @officialbusybrain Tiktok: @Officialbusybrain Facebook: Busyy Brain Facebook page: @officialbusybrain Gmail: BeezyBrain247@gmail.com WhatsApp: 08169197486
The National Home Grown School Feeding Programme is yet another master piece and one of the most alluring programmes of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development and of course one of the major achievements of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The Programme covers 35 states in Nigeria and the FCT with Bayelsa state getting onboard soon and approximately 9.8 million students in 53,000 public primary schools nationwide, benefitting from the programme annually.
Since 2019 after the establishment of the ministry, the programme outshined every other School feeding programme in Africa by becoming the largest on the continent. The programme has earned accolades for the country and ofcourse the President Muhammadu Buhari administration being the first school feeding programme initiative of the country since 1999. Who would have thought that there will be a day in Nigeria when Federal government will be feeding pupils in public schools? Let me not forget that the meals served to the students is nutritious and programmed to fight malnutrition.
I met a lot of parents back then in 2010 and cautioned them on the negative effects and disadvantages of not enrolling their children in schools. However, my advocacy failed, especially as it applies to girl child education mostly. Their excuse was always not having the resources to enroll their children in schools. They will rather marry off the girls at a very young age and send the boys out on streets to hawk satchet water.
However in 2019, i was assigned on another advocacy to the same locations I went to in 2010 and to my surprise, the school enrollment of each increased by 90%, I thought I was the one that was not doing enough until I met an elderly woman who had five grandchildren all above the ages of 10.
I asked her if their whereabouts and she held my hands and said to me “my son, we have always believed in education but we never had the means of enrolling our children, God has answered our prayers. The government is now feeding our children and it is also saving us money”.
I then realized that the problem had never been educating them because Nigeria has for long, been on free education but the problem rather was strategy used to lure them to benefit from the free education.
The National Home Grown School Feeding programme has not only increased child enrollment in schools. It has made studying easier and fun, fought hunger and malnutrition and also addressed the issue of unemployment by providing more than 107,000 people who serve as cooks with sustainable jobs. When unemployment is addressed, the rate of poverty is also being addressed. In Kano State alone, the number of school enrollment increased from 1.2 million to 2.1 million after the introduction of the programme by Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in the State.
In 2010, the rate of School enrollment in Nigeria was 41.83% but in 2021, the gross enrollment rate in elementary schools in Nigeria stood at 68.3%. It made me say that our advocacy failed but Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development won the hearts of our children with an initiative from a generous woman like Sadiya Umar Farouq- a hot nutritious meal every school day.
