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Orji Kalu Says He Will Bomb Abia Forests; IPOB Dares Him, Threatens Him

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The Source
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By Charles Igbo

Worried by the unprecedented abductions in Abia State, a former Governor of the State, Orji  Uzor Kalu, has threatened to bomb all forests in the State.

It is not known how will do it, knowing that he is neither  the Governor who would report the situation to the Commander-in-Chief, nor the Commander-in-Chief who should give such orders.

Addressing his Constituents  in Umunneochi LGA where a number of high profile abductions have taken place, including that of the Methodist Church Prelate, His Eminence Samuel Kanu Uche, a number of Clerics and the recent abduction of four Roman Catholic Reverend Sisters, Kanu, who  is the Senate Majority Chief Whip, warned parents to ask all their children in the bushes/ forests in Abia State to leave because the forests and bushes will be bombed by the NIgerian Airforce and the Nigerian Army. He said anybody in those areas will be killed.

But in a swift response, the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, has dared Kanu to carry out his threats. In a statement, its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, said those in the bushes/forests are IPOB and members of its militant wing, Eastern Security Network, ESN, who are protecting the bushes and forests as well as Women and girls from those who they claim are Hausa/ Fulani invaders.

However, Kalu warns that his threat of bombing the forests and bushes should be taken seriously because President Muhammadu Buhari, according to him, will surprise the people by the action he would take within the next four months. He regretted that he was no longer the Governor of Abia State, but pledged he would discuss with the Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu,  on how to cooperate with the Buhari Government to manage the insecurity in the State.

Kanu: “What is happening in Abia is not acceptable to me. We will comb the bush in Umunneochi Local Government Area.We will comb the bush in Ohafia Local Government Area.We will comb the bush in Arochukwu and Bende Local Government Areas.

“I am warning everybody. Do not allow your children to live in the bush. Anything they see in the bush, they destroy.

“We will come with the NIgerian Airforce. We will come with the Army. We will come with everybody.

“We want peace here. We want our businesses to continue. The Igbo are losing N25b each day they close their businesses. And they cannot continue. I wish I am still the Governor of Abia State  but I’m not the Governor.

“President Buhari will surprise you people in the next four months. Warn your children to leave the bush  because we will comb the bushes.

“Anything we see in the bush we will kill because we have  disturbed the President so much that there is insecurity in the South-east.

“The aircraft will come here. It will be a surprise raid. So people living in the  bushes should leave. All parts of  Abia, we will comb it.”

ESN Ready For Kalu -IPOB

But in a statement entitled:  “ESN Ready for Orji Uzor Kalu in collaboration with Nigerian Army to flush those protecting our bushes and forests against terrorists”,  IPOB dared Kalu and the Military.

It said: “The global family and movement of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, under the leadership and command of Mazi Nnamdi Okwuchukwu Kanu, wish to let the public know that IPOB leadership and members have been acquainted with the threat from the former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, where he has given an order to the compromised Nigerian Security Agencies to wipe out IPOB/ESN  staying in the bushes and forests safeguarding our bushes and forests for our mothers, wives, and sisters who are going to the farms

“IPOB has nothing against anybody issuing such a threat, but it is not enough order, but carrying out the order is what matters.

“Orji Uzor Kalu has given us a time frame, and we are ready for him and his co-travellers who will be coming to us. Orji Uzor Kalu will pay after the attack  because he will understand that IPOB is not a push over.”

Not a few people have noted that inspite of IPOB/ ESN’s  claims to protecting the bushes and forests in the South-east, kidnappers still hold sway in the zone.

Onslaught Against Banditry Continues – President Buhari

By
Ayodele Oni
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President Buhari of Nigeria

By Ayodele Oni

President MuhammadTVu Buhari, on Tuesday, reassured on continuity against banditry saying security forces have ramped up combat against bandits and terrorists who have held Nigerians hostage recently.

President Buhari said “We have directed the military to crush those terrorisizing our citizens, peace and security is gradually being restored to the country.

“In the past couple of days, you must have heard about the number of terrorists neutralized by the military, and number of hostages freed.”

The President spoke at the Citizens Summit for National Integration, Peace and Security in Abuja.

The summit was convened by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, (NIPR) and Partners, with the theme,” Reopen Conversation, Rebuild Trust.”

The president was represented at the event by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.

He said just as his regime has been able to put the seemingly-intractable farmers-herders crisis under control, it would also successfully tackle the terrorists and bandits.

“As our security agencies put them on the run, they will no longer be able to carry out their deadly attacks as well as kidnappings.

“Peace and security will return to our country, and our unity will be strengthened.

”We must take the fight to the terrorists and demonstrate that there is no hiding place for them within the borders of our country.

“Each one of them will be hunted, and pursued and spoken to in the language that they understand.”

The President, who commended gallant men and women in uniform, appealed to all compatriots to continue to support them in their onerous task of keeping the country safe.

“We must also realize that security is the business of everyone, hence the tagline ‘if you see something, say something.’

“Terrorists or bandits are not spirits. They are human beings and they reside in our communities. They’ll must all be exposed and crushed for peace to reign.”

Abacha Loot: FG To Receive Fresh $23m From US

By
James Orji
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The attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN has signed an agreement with the United States of America, USA for the repatriation of $23 million Abacha looted by the late dictator.

Malami on Tuesday signed the agreement with the US Ambassador to Nigeria, May Beth Leonard who signed on behalf of her country during a brief ceremony at the Federal Ministry of Justice Headquarters in Abuja.

The minister said the decision to return the stolen loot which he tagged as Abacha-5, was a product of a series of negotiations and meetings between Nigeria, the US Department of Justice, and the UK National Crime Agency, NCA.

According to him, “It is worthy to note that in line with the terms of this Agreement, Mr. President had already approved the funds to be utilized for the ongoing Presidential Development Infrastructural Funds, PIDF, projects namely; Abuja-Kano Road, Lagos-Ibadan Express Way and the Second Niger Bridge under the supervision of Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA

“The President’s mandate to my office is to ensure that all international recoveries are transparently invested and monitored by civil society organization to compete these three projects within the agreed timeline.”

A non-governmental organization, NGO tracking how the loots recovered from General Abacha, the African Network for Economic and Environment Justice, ANEEJ, had in June, revealed that the $322.5million stolen funds from former Military Head of State Gen Sani Abacha between 2018-2022 has been shared to 1.9million poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

Speaking on how the stolen fund was shared, Rev. David Ugolor, Executive Director, ANEEJ said the loot was shared without any political consideration to poor Nigerians.

He said, “No politically motivated data was used in selecting the beneficiaries; the National Social Register was used to determine those who will benefit and the register is updated regularly to remove those who have died.

“The Abacha loot that was recovered have been exhausted, we have a responsibility to inform Nigerians and then to make sure to tell them what the money was used for.

“It is a very controversial issue that people sit down at home and begin to point fingers that Abacha’s money has been stolen. What we have done with this monitoring is very ground breaking”.

SSANU, NASU Strike: Splinter Union Takes Stand, Says Members At Work, Demands Payment Of Salary

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

There is a crack in the proposed move by two striking unions in universities to resume on Wednesday following suspension of their two months old strike.

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, (SSANU) and Non Academic Staff Union of Universities, (NASU) had last weekend suspended their six months old strike for two months to enable the federal government act on some of the agreements reached.

However, a splinter group, The National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities (NANTS) dissociated itself from the ongoing natiowide strike declared by the Non Academic Staff Union, NASU.

NANTS is a University based Union that emerged out of the amorphous NASU in the University in 2019.

In a statement on Tuesday, Adeniyi Akinnibi, National President of NANTS said NASU was on its own as members of NANTS were never on strike in the first place.

The statement explained that the decision was made after webinar NEC meeting of the union held between Wednesday, 17th August, 2022 and 18th August, 2022 and which was well attended by all organs of the Union.

“We wish to inform the Federal Government, National Association of Nigerian Students NANS, Civil Society Organisations CSO’s and general public that the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities (NANTS) members in the Nigerian Universities are not on strike because NASU cannot speak for our members in the Universities.

“We also, wish to appeal to the Federal Government not subject our innocent members in the Nigerian Universities who did not participate in any strike action to ‘No Work, No Pay’ rule as our members are not on any strike and as a Union we have not issued any strike notice or directive to the Federal Government and our members that should have warranted visiting the consequences NASU’s misdirection and misrepresentation on our innocent members.

“For us in the University system, we cannot continue to subscribe to a Union whose principles and practice is not only alien to the University system and culture but its interests and actions are completely at variance with the interest and welfare of University workers.

“It is pertinent to state that the General Secretary of NASU, one Mr. Peters Adeyemi who issued strike directive to the University workers is not a staff in any Nigerian Universities and as such No Work, No Pay rule does not affect him because he (Peters Adeyemi) and all his other officers are not staff in any Nigerian Universities.

“Also, Mr. Peters Adeyemi is on frolic on his own because we did not recognize his Union activities in the University system.

“We hereby appeal for kind consideration and expeditious actions over our application for registration as a University based Union before the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in consonance with power of the Honourable Minister under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Amended and the Trade Unions Act Chapter T14 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria LFN, 2004.

“The registration and recognition our of Union in the University system as a registered trade union will enable us function as a trade union within the confines of the University system devoid of mixing up with intruders who are not staff in the University system.

“To our esteemed members in the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities (NANTS) in Nigerian Universities across the Country are hereby appealed to, remain calm despite the No Work, No Pay rule at this period of critical economic challenges caused by misrepresentation and misdirection of NASU as the National Leadership of NANTS is in the process of engaging the Federal Government with convincing information that we are not strike in order to get our withheld salaries released.

“We wish to reiterate and to rekindle our members hope that by the grace of the Almighty God our Union would be registered and adequate representation and engagement over our issues would follow without frequent and unsuccessful strike actions by NASU.

“To further underscore the justifications for NANTS registration, our interests as University workers in NASU are not SUFFICIENTLY represented and protected due to the marriage of inconvenience of the Union which amalgamate all educational institutions in Nigeria into one Union.

“The leadership of NASU are not from the University system and as such does not understand the peculiarities, challenges and the workings of the University system.

“As a result of this, the union is unable and incompetent to SUFFICIENTLY advocate and represent our interest in the entire university system.

“As a result of its amorphous nature, being too broad and wide, hence, the agitation to have our own University based union solely because our interests in the university system does not correlate with that of the others in the group under NASU umbrella.

“It should be noted that our demand is lawful, legal, and constitutional. Continued affiliation to NASU as an amalgamation of strange bedfellows whose interests are different and far apart will only continue to increase the agitations overtime as the very structure of NASU makes it difficult for it to SUFFICIENTLY attend to our peculiar needs.

“That the registration and recognition of NANTS as a separate and stand-alone Union like the other University based Unions like ASUU, SSANU and NAAT remained the only solution to the neglect, intimidation and tyranny by NASU and its officers who are aliens to the University system.”

Osun LG Poll: You Are Diversionary With Your Statement, APC Replies PDP

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

The All Progressive Congress, (APC) in Osun state has reacted to move by the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) to stall the October 15 local government election.

APC reacted by saying that PDP lacks power to dictate to INEC on planned local government election, in the state.

APC cautioned the opposition PDP to stop arrogating to itself the power it doesn’t possess by turning itself to an instructor or pathfinder of an independent statutory body like the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC).

According to the state chairman of the APC, Prince Gboyega Famodun, in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Kola Olabisi, in Osogbo, “the PDP lacks the power or authority to dictate to an independent body like the  Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) which derives its creation and existence from the Electoral Act 2022.”

Famodun reminded the state chapter of the PDP that the symbiotic relationship between the INEC and the OSSIEC is not a master and servant type, but mainly advisory in status.

He stated that it is absurd and unheard of for a body of a supposed learned men under the aegis of the PDP to be dictating to the INEC to refuse the OSSIEC the lawful official privileges required to function effectively for the purpose of its creation.

“If the statement credited to the Osun PDP that the INEC should deny the OSSIEC the updated voters register is anything to go by, it is suggestive of the fact that the PDP is sponsoring, oiling and encouraging an avoidable heating up of the polity in the state.

“Do we need to educate the PDP handlers that in a decent and real democratic society, the court is always there to adjudicate on any constitutional matter.

“With this directive of the Osun PDP  to the INEC to refuse to make available to the OSSIEC the state updated voters register for the purpose of the conduct of the local government election on October 15, 2022, it is nothing but a clear case of instigating an independent Federal Government agency to overreach itself for self-serving reasons.

“It is strange that the Osun PDP is contemporaneously playing the role of a complainant and the judge by dictating to the INEC a punishment for the OSSIEC, which seems a complete anathema to the law of the land.

“Osun State is a subset of the nation which cannot and should not operate in its endeavours at variance with what is operational in the other states making up the corporate nation.”

The chairman opined that such directive by the state PDP to the INEC not to release the updated voters list  to the OSSIEC for the purpose of conducting of a free, fair and credible local government election is reckless, misleading, diversionary and unlawful and should be disregarded in its entirety.

Osun PDP Moves To Frustrate LG Poll, Urges INEC To Withhold Voters Register

By
Ayodele Oni
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0

By Ayodele Oni

The People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) in Osun state is doing everything possible to frustrate the planned local government election by outgoing administration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola and the All Progressive Congress, (APC).

The Chairman, State Independent Electoral Commission, (OSSIEC) Segun Oladuntan, had fixed October 15 for election into the local governments in the state barely a month to hand over date of the incumbent administration.

The opposition PDP has vowed not to participate in the poll but has gone further by asking Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to make available the updated voters register toOSSIEC. for the purpose of the proposed local government poll.

In a letter signed by the Osun PDP legal adviser, Hashim Abioye, INEC was also advised to stay aloof from the proposed local government election.

Abioye noted that the insistence of the OSSIEC Chairman in going ahead with the conduct the local government poll in the State despite various warnings from concerned citizens of Osun State, was in contravention of the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The Osun PDP lawyer stated that a legal action had been instituted in the Osogbo Federal High Court to ensure that the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, were complied with by OSSIEC in the conduct of local government elections in State.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission is a party in that case and the processes have been served on both INEC and OSSIEC.

“The Provision of the Electoral Act, 2022 Section 28 thereof is that no election can hold until and unless a notice of such election is given “not later than 360 days” before the said election and in Section 29 of the same Act, list of candidates must be published “not later than 180 days”.

“There is no doubt, the said provisions of the Electoral Act are mandatory and must be followed to the letter.

“The Supreme Court decision in OSSIEC V. ACTION CONGRESS also mandates that the provisions of the Electoral Act must be complied with in the conduct of local government elections. The phrase “not later than” has been interpreted by the apex court to mean “not shorter/earlier than.

“To our dismay, none of the above conditions and stipulations as envisaged by the Electoral Act, 2022 and against the decision of the Supreme Court in OSSIEC V. ACTION CONGRESS have been complied with by OSSIEC and yet, OSSIEC still insists on conducting an election that is unknown to law.

“We do not have any problem with OSSIEC conducting a local government election, but we envisage an election that will be conducted in compliance with the law. We wish to bring to the notice of the Independent National Electoral Commission that the Electoral Act pursuant to ‘Section 150’ criminalizes the conduct of Local Government election by a State Commission that is in contravention of the relevant provision(s) of the Act.”

2023: Shekarau Accuses Kwakwanso Of Betrayal; May Leave NNPP

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Rabiu Kwakanso and Ibrahim Shekarau

By Akinwale Kasali

Former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, who has been running from one Political Party to the other since he left office may soon leave the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP.

The crisis which has been   rocking the NNPP for weeks, has further deepened. The feud between its Presidential Candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, also a former Governor, and Shekarau remains unending. Shekarau is accusing Kwankwaso of betrayal of trust.

Shekarau’s  group which pitched tent with Kwankwaso after forming the NNPP has cried out that Kwankwaso has continued to betray the trust reposed on him.

Shekarau made this known on Monday at a meeting with Shura Advisory Council drawn from 44 Local Government Areas of the State at the Kano Foundation Hall.

He alleged that all the agreements reached with Kwankwaso has since been betrayed by the NNPP Presidential Candidate and his Boys. He said they have failed  to accommodate  a single person in his (Shekarau) own camp.

A disappointed and aggrieved Shekarau stressed further that it was agreed upon  that his Group will be accommodated in elective positions, but that has been breached.

“All the agreements we had with him were betrayed by Kwankwaso and his boys and they did not accommodate one single person from my camp.

“We reached an agreement to accommodate my supporters into various elective positions in the party, but until now, the committee set up could not accommodate one single person apart from the senatorial slot given to me.

“I will never be a party to injustice. My integrity is utmost and not any political position that will make me compromise it and that of my people. Nobody will use position or money against my integrity.

“I am a man of honour and integrity but his governorship candidate (Abba Yusuf) who was given the responsibility to look at areas to accommodate my people into various elective positions never for one single day did so or even called for meeting let alone accepting my supporters to contest.

“Nobody will use money to change my conscience. I was a governor for eight years in Kano and people believed in my integrity.

“I am still living in a rented house in Abuja and never allocated a single plot of land to myself when I served as Governor in Kano and I challenge anyone who knows my plot of land to expose it.”

Though Shekarau is yet to inform his Group whether they would leave the NNPP if their grievances is not addressed,  but he has aassured them that the next line of action would be communicated to them within a few weeks.

He appealed to his supporters to exercise patience and await his final decision on whether to remain in the NNPP or quit the party.

Why We Have Been Unable To Evacuate Stranded Nigerians In UAE – FG

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0

By Akinwale Kasali

The Federal Government has disclosed why it has been unable to evacuate Nigerians who are stranded in the United Arab Emirates, UAE.

About 3,000 Nigerians are stranded in that country due, mainly, to immigration problems. The UAE has also been reluctant to renew the immigration status of legally employed Nigerians.

The FG said the delay in evacuating them is due to legal processes and the finalization of relevant documents with the UAE.

This was disclosed by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Francisca Omayuli. She said  that the Ministry is working with the Nigerian Mission alongside the UAE authorities to assist stranded Nigerians in the country for various reasons, ranging from overstay, loss of passports, and lack of documentation, especially in the case of infants, to pending cases with the Emirate police.

She was reacting to the allegations in the Media which stated that the Nigerian Government has not only abandoned the stranded Nigerians, but is making it difficult for them to return home.

Her statement reads: “The attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria has been drawn to news making the rounds on social media that the Nigerian Mission in the UAE has abandoned some stranded Nigerians in that country and is making it difficult for them to return home.

“The allegation is completely untrue and misleading as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerian Mission have been working assiduously with the UAE authorities to assist over 300 Nigerians stranded in the country for various reasons, ranging from overstay, lost passports, and lack of documentation especially in the case of infants, to pending cases with the Emirati Police.

“The affected Nigerians are among nationals  from other African countries in custody at the holding centre of Al Aweer Immigration Office, pending the consideration of their cases and conclusion of the legal processes by the relevant authorities before repatriation.

“The Nigerian Mission has since the commencement of the saga on August 15, 2022, been working hard to collate the details of the stranded Nigerians with a view to issuing Emergency Travel Certificates to those of them with no means of identification.

“The UAE authorities on the other hand, will process the immigration papers of those on over-stay, who are the majority and are required by law to pay fines. Some of the affected Nigerians have fines of over $10,000 per person. The UAE Government is willing to waive the fines for those who are unable to pay, however, not without the attendant penalty of 10-year-ban from the UAE. Those in police custody for other alleged offenses must be cleared, while those without documentation or means of identification especially infants will go through legal procedures for rectification.

“The various processes outlined above have to be finalised by the relevant Emirati authorities before repatriation of affected Nigerians by the Federal Government.

“The Federal Government wishes to seize this opportunity to appeal to Nigerians in the UAE to remain law-abiding and avoid actions that would inflict untold hardship on them.”

ASUU: Tension As Union’s NEC Decides Way Forward On Sunday

By
James Orji
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ASUU President and Ngige

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU will Sunday meet to decide whether to continue the six-month-old strike, according to Punch.

The newspaper quoted sources in ASUU as saying that the union’s National Executive Council, NEC will meet on August 28, to deliberate on the way forward on the industrial action which started on February 14.

“The NEC meeting will hold on August 28, the four weeks ultimatum that we gave is expiring that same day. We will be making our decisions based on the results of the state congresses.

“The NEC has to depend on the result of the congresses. The zones have held their own congresses; the branch chairmen will also talk to their members and they will get feedback which will be transmitted to the NEC,” one of the sources said.

The magazine learned that some branches of ASUU have been putting pressure on the leadership of the union to end the strike, to pave way for more robust negotiations with the government, particularly following reports that the union may be proscribed by the federal government as a last resort for academic activities to return to the nation’s ivory towers after a prolong strike by the academic teachers.

The lecturers are also under serious pressure from friends and family members who are no longer finding the no-work-no-pay policy funny, sources say.

ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodede had last week disclosed that some of his members have turned to taxi drivers and farmers to make ends meet in the wake of the federal government’s decision not to pay them for the period of the strike.

The university lecturers had last week vowed not to return to the lecture rooms until all their demands are met.

The union is demanding among other things, the renegotiation of the ASUU-FGN 2009 agreement; release of revitalisation funds for universities; deployment of the University Transparency Accountability System for the payment of salaries and allowances of university lecturers; release of earned allowances; and the release of the white paper report of the visitation panels to universities.

When the federal government met the Osodeke-led ASUU penultimate week, the meeting ended in a stalemate after the union accused the government of unseriousness in resolving the contentious issues.

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu would later reveal that the decision by President Muhammadu Buhari’s government not to pay the lecturers for the period of the strike, is the major reason why an agreement had not been reached with the angry lecturers.

‘All contentious issues between the government and ASUU had been settled except the quest for members’ salaries for the period of strike to be paid, a demand that Buhari has flatly rejected,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Education Institutions, NASU on Monday suspended their strike actions.

The two unions disclosed this at the week end in Abuja, the nation’s capital after a brief meeting of their leaders with Adamu.

They said in a statement that they suspended the strike for a period of two months to enable the federal government to address their problems.

According to the unions, “The two months allow the government to implement the agreements reached.

“Part of the agreement is the decision of the government to set aside the sum of N50 billion for the payment of earned academic and earned allowances, the cogent decision on the University Peculiar Personnel Payroll System (UPPPS), the release of the white paper on university visitation panel and funding of the universities.

“On the poor funding of federal institutions, the Minister said he directed the National Universities Commission (NUC) to ensure that all the schools are up-to-date on what they are supposed to do, otherwise sanctions will be visited on any institution that defaults.”

The suspension takes effect from August 24, the unions said.

Atiku Denies Plan To Handover Fed Varsities To States After Backlash

By
James Orji
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0

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has recanted his earlier statement that will hand over federal universities to states if he becomes president next year.

The PDP presidential hopeful had received backlash for the comment he made at this year’s Nigerian Bar Association, NBA conference in Lagos on Monday, that he will allow state governments to run federal universities for efficiency if he emerged winner in next year’s presidential election.

Election pundits insist that the contest will be a three horse race between him and Bola Tinubu and Peter Obi of the All Progressives Congress, APC and Labour Party, respectively.

Atiku spoke amidst the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU over unpaid allowances and salaries by the federal government. The six months strike has paralysed academic activities in the nation’s ivory towers, even as distrust parents are worried that their children could remain at home much longer if the parties failed to break the deadlock.

Atiku said, “One of the fundamental reforms I have in my policy document is to encourage the private sector as far as the development of the country is concerned — both foreign and local. It is very essential because the federal government does not have the resources to do all the things that they want to do.”

“The only way is to make sure that a conducive environment is available for the local and foreign investors to participate in the development of our country, whether it is infrastructure, education, and healthcare.

“I had an argument with a university professor from Federal University, Lokoja. He said he read in my policy document that I intend to devolve, in other words, to return education to the states. How dare I do that?

“I said: ‘Mr professor, do you realise that the first set of our universities belongs to the regional governments?’ He said, ‘yes’. I said ‘who are the successors of the regional government?’ He said: ‘the states’.

“I said the children you send to America or England, who own those universities? Mostly the private sector. So, why is it that you think we cannot do it here? We don’t have the money.”

His comment apparently was not well received by not a few Nigerians who said many Nigerians will be denied higher education if that is done, because university education will even become more expensive than it is currently, and will be taken out of the reach of the average Nigerian.

The PDP presidential candidate has now come out to say he was misquoted, and that he has no plan to do that.

According to a statement by his spokesman, Paul Ibe, the former vice president said he was taken out of context. He described the report that he will allow states to run federal universities as misleading.

The statement said: “What the PDP presidential candidate referred to was his plans for a phased devolution of power to the federating units.

“The report in some sections of the media is, therefore, a misleading and false account of what transpired when the PDP Presidential candidate fielded questions as a panelist at the opening ceremony of the NBA conference.”

The statement added further,” Atiku Abubakar merely recalled his engagement with a university professor where he argued that the United States of America shared similarities with the first set of universities in Nigeria which belonged to the regional governments and noted that with proper planning and phased devolution of power, federal universities that have now become unwieldy could be made to work better under the component federating units.

“He also maintained that education would remain in the concurrent list under his administration when elected”.

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