FG

By Auwal Mustapha Imam, PhD

Nigerian politics should copy ASUU politics. There’s no union, party, association, society or any group in Nigeria that has the structures as firm as that of ASUU. None has united, tolerant and harmonized structures as ASUU. ASUU is mindless of the religion, region, ethnicity or tribe of who becomes its leader, the only thing ASUU members are after is, someone that has the capacity to face and challenge any inappropriation, misconduct, injustice or insincerity from the powers that be.

The leadership has been like that since its inception. No one cares wether or not the leader is a Muslim/Christian or any tribe. If the leader is a Christian from the South, he challenges the powers and addresses the problems of every Muslim lecturer from the North, devoid of consideration of his faith. This goes vice versa.

When my teacher and mentor Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge, a Muslim from Bayero University, Kano was the President of ASUU, he faced and challenged the then President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, a Christian from the South. None of either ASUU members or Nigerians complained that he was harsh because the President was a Southern Christian. All they were after was the result and the struggle.

Now that President Buhari, a Muslim from the North is the President, the two consecutive ASUU leaders Professor Biodun Ogunyemi (immediate past) and Professor Emmanuel Osodoke (the present) are fiercely challenging the Buhari’s government for the betterment of education in Nigeria, where both Muslims and Christians from all angles of the country can benefit. None of either ASUU members or Nigerians are complaining that the strike lingers because a Northerner is the President. All we are after is the result and the struggle.

Whereas, in Nigerian politics, one’s religion, region and ethnicity are scrutinized and looked at first before even his intellectual capacity. This has thrown us into a deep mess that led us to underdevelopment and public service abuses. Every organization recruits not based on merit, but connection, relationship and nepotism. This can never allow us to establish a structure that will ensure transparency and good governance.

ASUU’s structure, opinions and decisions are both descending and ascending. All deliberations from the local chapters ascend to the zone, then to the national. Likewise, all communications and decisions descend from the national to the zones and to the local chapters. Every member of ASUU is a stakeholder and all opinions are listened to and respected. This is why it is difficult for government to break the structure and penetrate with any inducement to corner the loyalty of some members to the agreement of government’s policies against ASUU.

ASUU’s structure enables unity and enforces loyalty to decisions. If your voice is heard and respected, you have no reason to go against the decision you took part in. This is why every member is loyal.

My master, Professor Mutari Hajara Ali of Physics Department BUK, once told me how he used his Vespa then for commercial “achaba” to survive the harsh policies of the then government of no-work-no-pay against them. I know many lecturers who are currently into commercial transportation services with their vehicles to survive the policy and endure the strike.

To all ASUU members, struggles and sacrifices are part of the job. Hence, nor starvation can force ASUU to retreat, unless its demands are met. Many of us are into hardships, but to us, the struggle needs to reach a logical conclusion rather than back down because of hunger.

Aluta Continua!

By Muhammad Aminu

The Federal Government has denied giving any ultimatum to the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, to bring an end to the lingering industrial action in public universities.

Senior Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said in a statement on Wednesday that there was no ultimatum given to the education minister to end the strike.

He accused the media of being deceived by their sources by giving definite time, saying the minister only suggested two or three weeks or even less.

The statement noted: “Neither during nor after the meeting was any ultimatum given to the Minister of Education.

“During the meeting, the Minister of Education requested that the Minister of Labour hands off the negotiation to allow him lead and conclude what he had earlier on started with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). And he promised that he could get an agreement within the shortest possible time, possibly two to three weeks.”

“It is a pity that almost all media houses allowed themselves to be deceived by interested sources that are not the authorized spokesmen of the government.

According to Shehu, the Minister will carry all the necessary stakeholders who can realistically work to end the strike as the government doors are open.

“In carrying out this assignment, the Minister will carry along all relevant ministries and agencies with statutory functions and duties relating to the issues involved.

“The Presidency is optimistic that agreements can be reached in even a shorter period if all parties/stakeholders are not unrealistically obstinate. We appeal to the parties to work together to end the strikes.

“On the part of the administration, all doors remain open for dialogue and the resolution of the issues.”

The statement called on the media to desist from spreading misinformation on the matter.

“We appeal to the media not try to spread misinformation. The orchestrated media narratives seeking to present an entirely different picture, attributed to sources, in the last 24 hours are not helpful at all.

“The outcome of the meeting held by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to end the agitations by university unions ought to be beyond spin-doctoring and conjectures, it added.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The National Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to embark on a nationwide protest 26/7 of July in solidarity with the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The union has been on a strike since February 14th, 2022, over the government failure to meet their demands.

The Daily Reality recalls that the issues are bordering on funding universities, as well as on salaries and allowances of lecturers.

The NLC president, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, in a statement jointly signed with his secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, disclosed that the protest aimed at getting the university students back to school.

The statement read, “we bring you fraternal greetings from the national secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC),” the letter read.

“In line with the decisions of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Nigeria Labour Congress held on the 30th of June 2022, we have scheduled as follows the National Days of Protest to get our children back to school and support our unions in Nigeria’s public universities fighting for quality education.

“Dates: Tuesday, 26th July 2022 and Wednesday, 27th July 2022.

“Venue: All the State Capitals of the Federation and Abuja the Federal Capital Territory. Take off Point: NLC State Secretariats and the Labour House, Abuja

“You are requested to immediately convene the meetings of your SAC to disseminate this information and to fully mobilize workers in the states for this very important protest for good governance,” the statement added.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The families of the abducted Abuja-Kaduna train victims threatened that the train service must not resume unless all the abducted passengers are rescued.

Speaking through their spokesperson, Dr Abdulfatai Jimoh, the victims’ families said adequate security measures must be put in place to guarantee the safety of prospective passengers.

The Daily Reality reported how bandits attacked the Kaduna-Abuja train, killed eight persons, and abducted many passengers last month.

The bandits in a video threatened to kill all the victims if the federal government refused to negotiate with them.

However, reports disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the NRC to set up a situation room for the coordination of the rescue mission for the passengers.

But the families lamented that “Still, one week after this presidential directive was issued, the NRC has never contacted the relatives of the kidnapped victims nor established any situation room.

“This display of gross incompetence and insensitivity should lead to appropriate punishment,” they said.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened to occupy all roads to Abuja Monday if the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) ’s strike is not brought to an end.

The association stated that the protest would involve students, parents and civil servants.

The Vice President of the Union, Comrade Yazid Tanko Muhammad, disclosed this to BBC Hausa on Tuesday, February 22, 2022.

He added that they would all gather to tell the world the situation they are facing in the country with regards to their education.

Muhammad also reiterated that the protest had become necessary to rescue the country’s educational system from incessant strike actions.

Comrade Yazid Tanko Muhammad said: “The reason we choose to embark on a protest is that it is the only language that can be understood, and it is the only way we can show the world our situations and feelings towards the strike.

“So, it is a protest which, if we start, will not stop until the issues are resolved, and the lecturers resume work.

“So we will block the roads linking Abuja from Kogi, Abuja from Kaduna and Abuja from Nasarawa states.

“That means we will block the whole Abuja on that day. We will also block the Federal Secretariat.

“That is why we are calling on Mr President to show concern and solidarity to us by not attending to work on that day.

“He should please remain at home. Since everyone is a student, either a Minister, Senator, House of Representatives member, they were all students before they reached the level they are now.

“So, we are doing this because of the future of our education and the country.

“We can’t just stay at home and watch. No country in the world can go on strike for a whole month without any concrete reasons like a pandemic or similar things,” he stated.

By Uzair Adam Imam

Students and their parents are worried as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) threatens to embark on a fresh indefinite strike.

Recall that ASUU suspended its nine-month-long strike in 2020 after reaching an agreement with the Federal Government. Still, after a year, the government is yet to fulfil its promises to the union.

The ASUU’s strike has been described as one of the most lingering issues that has been paralysing Nigerian universities, leading to the delay in students’ graduation and the deterioration of the education system in the country.

Not only that, many people argue that the strike has destroyed the future of many promising youths.

In a statement on Thursday, the Chairperson of ASUU Kano State Branch, Comrade Haruna Musa, and the Union’s Secretary, Comrade Yusuf U. Madugu, declared Monday, February 7, 2022, as a lecture-free day.

Its essence is for ASUU to use the day to sensitise university students, parents and other stakeholders on the brewing crisis arising from the Federal Government’s failure to implement the existing agreements with the union judiciously.

Educational sector at the receiving end

A lecturer at the Department of Nigerian Languages, Bayero University, Kano, Dr Muhammad Sulaiman Abdullahi, said that the strike was killing the country’s educational sector and the economy.

Dr Abdullahi cried: “It is a sad development. It looks childish and an endless menace, especially to the Nigerian educational system. Strike has become a thorn in the flesh of Nigeria’s general development. No nation can prosper morally in such a nasty situation. It is, indeed, unfortunate.”

He added that the situation “generally makes people, teachers, students and their parents to become very dull and uncertain of their future. You can take it to the banks that crime rate will somersault, and new bad things will manifest within the wider community”.

Students at risk

The president of the Mass Communication Students Association (MACOSA), Bayero University, Kano chapter, Comrade Sadisu Sada, decried that industrial action in Nigerian universities had been there for quite a long time.

He said, “It is worrying. The issue affects students directly. And for me, the government is to blame.

“ASUU is doing her best to give the educational system all that it requires. If not, education would have died.”

Umar Isah Dandago, an undergraduate of the Department of Mass Communication in the university, also voiced his grievance, saying this would delay his graduation.

Dandago said: “We would have graduated if not for the 2020 strike. This is a serious problem. A lot of people want to do something, like setting up a new business after university, but because of the strike, it’s becoming almost impossible.”

He, therefore, urged the Federal Government to give ASUU what it demanded, saying, “I believe it’s not even half of what’s being squandered in some things that are not important to us. So let’s get the education we deserve as Nigerians so that we’ll be proud of our leaders and our country.”

Also speaking, Comrade Ibrahim Mukhtar Sulaiman, a level 300 student, said: “Sadly, students taking a four-year course will graduate in five, six or seven years. And this affects not only their academic careers but also their personal life.”

Parents raise alarm

As the strike looks imminent, some parents lamented that the brewing crisis between the government and ASUU jeopardises their children’s future.

A parent, Malam Adamu Kolo, who looked disturbed by the imminent strike, said that his son would have graduated if not for ASUU incessant strike.

Malam Adamu Kolo said, “My son would have graduated this year if not because of ASUU incessant strike. You can see that I am poor. I am hopeless. Our hope is on this boy.”

By Aisar Fagge

The Ulama Forum in Nigeria is greatly concerned and saddened over the perpetual killings of innocent lives going on unabated in Nigeria, especially in the North West of the country in recent times.

The forum disclosed this in its press release signed by its secretary, Engr. Basheer Adamu Aliyu, on Monday, December 13, 2021, and sent to The Daily Reality today, Thursday, December 16, 2021.

The statement reads: “Our hearts bleed over the dastardly and inhuman act of burning alive of 23 passengers in Sokoto state. Other equally sad losses of lives that were witnessed in Niger, Kaduna, Zamfara and Katsina states over the last one week are heart touching, frustrating and to say the least unpardonable. It is highly inconceivable how bandits and terrorists move about freely in the land, committing heinous acts and atrocities unchecked by the power of government and its security agencies.”

“The terrorists have desecrated all religious, human and universal values and indeed, they have lost their faith and humanity; they must be confronted head-on with might and power. We most strongly urge the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to sit up to its responsibility of protecting the lives of Nigerian citizens. It would be recalled that in the year 2020, out of similar concern over the deteriorating trend of insecurity, the Ulama Forum had advanced nearly a dozen suggestions to the governments at all levels so as to curb the Boko Haram menace, banditry and other security challenges facing the Northern region.”

“It is sad to note that most of our suggestions were ignored and security situation in the country has been moving from bad to worse,” the Forum lamented.

“Based on the foregoing, we would like to once more urge the FGN to re-assess its security strategies and spending with a view to unfolding a more holistic and all-inclusive approach. We believe that divine intervention is a most potent weapon against the bandits, insurgents and their collaborators.”

“To this end, members of the Forum have resolved to devote themselves to alqunut (special prayer in times of turmoil) during each prayer session. Similarly, special prayers should be observed in Madaaris (Islamiyyah Schools) and other places of gathering.”

“We pray to Allah to give our leaders the listening ears to hear the cries of its weak, terrorised and terrified citizens, particularly in the North. May they have the wisdom, will, determination and ability to do the needful and ensure peace and security in the land. There is no power or strength save in Allah,” it concluded.

The release was endorsed by its members such as:

Prof. Mansur Ibrahim (mni), Sokoto; Dr. Bashir Aliyu Umar, Kano; Dr. Abubakar Muhamad Sani B/Kudu, Jigawa; Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, Kaduna; Prof. Muhammad Babangida Muhammad, Kano; Dr. Said Ahmad Dukawa, Kano; Prof. Salisu Shehu, Bauchi; Prof. Ahmad Bello Dogarawa, Kaduna; Amir Abdullahi Abubakar Lamido, Gombe; Dr. Ibrahim Adam Omar Disina, Bauchi; Prof. Ahmad Murtala, Kano; Sheikh Tijjani Bala Kalarawi, Kano;

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Federal Government has said that Twitter has agreed to abide by the laid down conditions for its operations in the country.

Appearing on Channels TV, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, disclosed.

Recall that On June 5, 2021, the Buhari administration had slammed an indefinite suspension on Twitter.

Keyamo was a member of a committee the government set to dialogue with the microblogging site.

He disclosed that the committee had made significant progress, adding that: “The reason why the President took that step is to recalibrate our relationship with Twitter and not to drive them away from our country. That recalibration we have started it.

“We also set up a technical committee to interface with Twitter and come up with a lot of conditions for them to fulfil for us to lift the suspension.

“It was Twitter that reached out to the Federal Government to say they want to know what and what they can do to straighten up the relationship with the Federal Government and so, we have gone far, but I may not, at this forum, let out a lot, but we gave them a lot of conditions, and they have agreed to all the conditions.”

The conditions were: “Twitter paying attention to national security and cohesion; registering its physical presence and representation in Nigeria; fair taxation; dispute resolution and Local content.”

This indicates that the ban on Twitter will be lifted soon.

By Abdelghaffar Abdelmalik Amoka

We woke up Monday morning to meet the bold Newspapers’ headlines of ASUU’s 3 weeks ultimatum to FG after the NEC meeting. In response, FG through Ngige promised to disburse the withheld 2019/2020 EAA on Wednesday. Another promise and Wednesday is gone. Of all the none implemented agreements, it’s EAA that came to their mind. Is the 3 weeks ultimatum all about EAA or they feel that another promise of a meager allowance called EAA will calm the nerves of those “poor lecturers”? I guess they are thinking they have impoverished us to that level that we jump on a promise of little “change”.

In December 2020 and a few days before the suspension of the 2020 edition of the ASUU Strikes, an agreement was reached, and with a clause that the failure of the government to fulfill the signed 2020 MoU with the agreed timeline, the strike will resume without any notice. It’s almost 11 months when the strike was suspended and some of us can’t really figure out the part of the agreement that has been implemented.

After 11 months, UTAS is on voicemail and ASUU members have been tactically dragged into IPPIS using their BVN. 11 months and still counting, no information on the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement that involves salary review. While no information on the accumulated EAA till 2019, the 2019-2020 EAA that is part of the 2021 budget is hanging and the year 2021 will end in about 6 weeks.

This reminds me of the last meeting for the strike suspension referendum at the branches. A senior colleague stood up during the meeting to pour out his mind that with his experience from the ASUU and FG negotiations, suspending the strike based on the usual promises and signing of MoUs will be a regret. The opinion of the colleague and other factors may have possibly made the ABU Branch of ASUU to vote against the suspension of the 2020 strike.

After the strike was suspended, I had an encounter with Dr. Salihu Lukman, the DG of Progressive Governors’ Forum on the ASUU strike. He made a comment that is still in my head since December 2020. That statement featured in the conclusion of my book titled: Nigeria’s university industrial unrest and poverty of sincerity. Dr. Lukman said, “We should not deceive ourselves to imagine that simply because there is an agreement, leaders will voluntarily implement it”. Hate him or like him for that statement, the statement has been true and is still true.

It is 11 months after the strike and ASUU members are on IPPIS, directly or indirectly. I doubt if there are any visiting professors in any federal universities, UTAS has been under test for the past 11 months with all the delaying tactics. The highest-paid Professor in 2009 received a net salary of about N450,000, including all the allowances. The salary remained that till January 2020. From February 2020 till date, and despite the minimum wage implementation, the net salary of the highest-paid Professor with all the allowances dropped to N416,000. With the inflation since 2009, the salary of academics was static till January 2020 after which it start to decrease.

And to attain the level of highest-paid Professor with that net salary, you must have been employed as an Assistant Lecturer with a Masters degree on a salary of N115,000 per month (all allowances included), worked for a minimum of 15 years to be promoted to the rank Professor and be on that rank for 9 years. So, to earn N416,000 as a Professor in any Nigerian university, you must have worked for a minimum of 24 years.

In the book that was recently published, I described the 2020 strike suspension as just like a temporary “ceasefire” and that FG will have to be forced to implement the signed agreements with another strike as usual. That is exactly where we are today with another ultimatum that may very likely lead to another strike.

But most colleagues are actually tired of strikes. Despite the 9 months of torture during the strike without salary, nothing seems to have changed and we are struggling more than ever to get home with our take-home pay. Are we ready to go for another round of months without a salary? Will the coming strike be focused on the revitalisation as number one on the list of demands? Or be silent on revitalisation for now and focus on 2009 renegotiation and pursue the review of salaries and welfare of lecturers to a logical conclusion?

The question coming from younger Academics is this: Why the continued fight for the system by academics while most others are fighting for themselves? They are saying that it is time for ASUU to focus on the welfare and conditions of service of their members. They said they feel more comfortable for their salaries to be withheld for a demand for improved salaries and welfare than for the fight to uphold university autonomy and funding which parents and students don’t even think is necessary.

A graduate of physics working in a bank visited the department last week and we got talking and the issue of salaries popped up. I told him our salaries which include all the allowances from Graduate Assistant to Professor and he was like that is unbelievable. He opened his mouth in disbelief. He thought my salary was like N700,000 and a Professor earned something close to a million naira. I could not stop laughing at his thoughts. I told him that those figures only exists in his head and that the reality was the figure I just rolled out. He felt that way because he is about 2 years in the bank and his salary is higher than the salary of a senior lecturer in the University. It made no sense to him. He can’t believe he earned more than a senior lecturer, a PhD holder, that has spent a minimum of 9 years in the University.

Dear ASUU President and ASUU NEC, convincing some ASUU members, especially the younger ones to vote in favour of another strike that will not prioritize their salaries and welfare may be a hard nut to crack. We have suffered enough and still suffering. We are meant to be solution developers but we are definitely not in the right frame of mind to develop solutions. How do you expect an academic to think when his brain is filled with the thought of how to get home with his salary? We need to set our priorities right. This is 2021 and we are living on a salary that is lower than the 2009 salary table. That is not sustainable.

Dear Federal Government of Nigeria, university lecturers don’t need that EAA that they are not sure when it will come but an academic living wage to live a life. Having refused to fully implement the 2020 MoU as Dr. Lukman postulated and some of us expected, ASUU members will be more than willing to embark on another strike to get that academic living wage from the conclusion and implementation of the 2009 renegotiation.

Abdelghaffar Abdelmalik Amoka writes from ABU, Zaria.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Federal Government has uncovered the sponsors of the self-acclaimed activist, Sunday Igboho, some of whom are known to have connections with terrorist organizations such as Boko Haram.

The disclosure was made at a press conference held in Abuja on Friday, October 23, 2021, by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.

It has been reported that the government has unravelled how Igboho got money from 43 bank accounts, transferred to him by his sponsors.

According to Malami, a committee was set up to carry on an investigation on this self-acclaimed activist.

The 24-member committee comprised of members of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Federal Ministry of Information, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, National Intelligence Agency and the Defence Intelligence Agency.

Malami was quoted saying: “The Federal Government has received the report on financers of Adeniyi Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Sunday Igboho. The report revealed that Sunday Igboho is a director and signatory to Adesun International Concept Limited registered on 23rd April 2010.”

“Adesun International Concept Limited also has Oladele Oyetunji and Aderopo Adeyemo as Directors. Sunday Igboho is linked to 43 bank accounts in 9 banks.

“The major financier of the fugitive and separatists was found to be a Federal Law Maker in the National Assembly. A total sum of ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN MILLION, ONE AND FORTY-FIVE THOUSAND NAIRA ONLY (N127, 145,000.00) was received by Igboho from his financiers between 22nd October, 2013 and 28th September, 2020 through Adesun International Concept Ltd accounts.

“A total sum of TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-THREE MILLION, ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-EIGHT THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED NAIRA ONLY (N273,198,200.00) transaction outflows was recorded from Sunday Igboho’s account between 15th March, 2013 and 11 the March, 2021.

“Investigation reveals that Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) transferred the sum of twelve million seven hundred and fifty thousand naira (N12, 750,000) to Abbal Bako & Sons.

“It might be recalled that Abbal Bako & Sons and its promoter Abdullahi Umar Usman are suspects in the on-going Joint Terrorist Financing Investigation. Abdullahi Umar Usman is by way of financial transaction connected to SURAJO ABUBAKAR MUHAMMAD (who was sentenced to life imprisonment in UAE on charges of financing terrorism [Boko Haram]).

“This report shows the nexus between separatists’ agitation, terrorism financing and disruptions of peace in the country,” Said Malami.