Education

COVID19: NUT cautions FG against January 18 schools resumption date

Published

2 weeks ago

January 1, 2021

Onyebuchi Aniekeyi

The Nigeria Union of Teachers on Thursday cautions FG against January 18 schools’ resumption date following Rising COVID-19 cases

The Secretary-General of the union Dr Mike Ike-Ene, stated this in an interview saying they was no need to hasting resumption if case of COVID19 is still high.

He added that if the rate of infection increases then teachers should stay at home.

Recalled that the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 had on December 17 said the country had entered COVID-19 second wave.

On December 21 the Presidential Task Force (PTF) order all school remain shut until January 18 to enable it fight the second wave of the virus.

Ike-Ene expressed that it was important to critically study the infection rate as schools awaited the January 18th resumption date given by the Federal Government.

He said, “I am someone who believes in life and it is when there is life that you can have a proposal. The number we are having shows that this (second wave) is more horrible. If the PTF and the NCDC (Nigeria Centre for Disease Control) are able to tell us about the new discoveries, then we can decide if we should stay at home or resume.

“As for all the COVID-19 protocols, our teachers have been practising them in our schools. That was why WASSCE (West African Senior School Certificate Examination) was held. If they feel this one is more rapid in terms of new infections, it means that teachers will stay at home.

“The Federal Government has said resumption is January 18. Let’s watch out, if by 18th (of January), it keeps increasing, then one will advise that the students should tarry. Let them remain at home. There is no point rushing and risking lives.

“There is no point rushing, although our students have wasted time, I think our students; especially the undergraduates, are in a hurry to go back to school. If the number keeps increasing the way it is, it means we may take some few weeks to look at it properly.”

NCBN On PlayStore

NCBN on AppStore

Prepare for more COVID-19 patients in need of oxygen, NMA tells FG

The National President of the Nigerian Medical Doctors, Prof Innocent Ujah, said he was aware of the shortage of oxygen in hospitals, plead with FG to provid more gas.

He said, “I am aware of it (shortage of oxygen). Recall that Lagos has established some centres for oxygen. Unfortunately, this disease is coming in various shapes and sizes and the reason is that there were things that we did not know before now because of COVID-19. Government has to respond appropriately by setting up oxygen production centres.

“We need to have oxygen in huge volume. This is in contrast to what we thought were doing before. We need oxygen that will appropriately take care of all the cases that will come to the isolation centres and hospitals.

He expressed that Some Abuja hospitals go to ABUTH for oxygen

“ I am aware that some hospitals in Abuja are going to Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital to get oxygen and this is because some of the hospitals don’t even have and those that have are not functional.

“We must ensure that we have enough oxygen, adequate volume of oxygen because you may not know who will come down, who will need oxygen and those who will not.”

Senate President Calls for Practical Action to Stem Youth Restiveness(Opens in a new browser tab)

Education

IPPIS: Varsity Workers Threaten Three-day Nationwide Protests

Published

5 days ago

January 10, 2021

Onyebuchi Aniekeyi

Non-teaching staff in the universities under the aegis of the Joint Action Committee, will on Tuesday, embark on three-day nationwide protests over the government’s handling of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, sharing formula of the N40 billion earned academic allowances and non-payment of arrears of the new minimum wage.
The committee said other contentious issues that informed the decision include inconsistencies in IPPIS payment and the delay in the renegotiation of the FGN/ ASUU/SSANU 2009 Agreement.
Others were the non-payment of retirement benefits to former members, non-constitution of visitation panels to universities, poor funding of universities, teaching staff usurping the headship of non-teaching units, among others.
The JAC which comprised the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities directed all its branches to mobilize the members on Monday for the rallies.
The decision to embark on the protest was taken on Friday night at a meeting by the leadership of NASU and SSANU, in Abuja, where they reviewed the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Federal Government on October 20, 2020.

YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK
In a communique signed by the SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, and the General Secretary of NASU, Prince Peters Adeyemi, the committee added that the unions would consider other measures, including embarking on an indefinite strike, after the protests.
The JAC was expected to meet on Thursday to review the success of the protest and deliberate on the next step.
It was also gathered that the unions have notified the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, who is the conciliator between the FG and the unions of their intention to embark on the protests.
The FG had in December approved N40 billion earned allowances for the four university unions and allegedly allocated 75 per cent of the amount to the Academic Staff Union of Universities, leaving 25 percent for the other three unions.
But this did not go down well with the NASU, SSANU, and the National Association of Academic Technologists as they rejected the sharing formula and threatened to ground the universities.
When asked what was being done to address the unions’ demands, the spokesman, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr Charles Akpan, said he has no information on steps being taken on the issue.

Education

NUC DIRECTS UNIVERSITIES TO REOPEN ON JANUARY 18

Published

6 days ago

January 9, 2021

Onyebuchi Aniekeyi

The national universities commission (NUC) has directed universities across the country to commence academic activities on january 18. according to reports, the NUC gave the directive in a statement on Friday, January 8, through its Deputy Executive Secretary (ADMINISTRATION) CHRIS MAIYAKI

MAIYAKI disclosed that the statement was issued on behalf of the executive secretary of the union, Prof Abubakar Rasheed. the nuc stated that any further developments would be communicated to universities accordingly. the commission, however, reportedly, advised universities to safeguard lives by strictly adhering to all Covid-19 safety protocols.

Watch our Youtube Videos

NUC further mandated universities to adhere to the full cycle of the semester system, consistent with the benchmark minimum academic standards (BMAS) approved by the Federal Government. meanwhile, an emerging report indicates that lecturers in public Universities may soon begin another strike if the Federal Government fails to fulfil its own part of the agreement reached in December 2020.

The academic staff union of universities (ASUU) stated that a fresh industrial action could commence as early as next week. the union made the disclosure in a tweet on Monday, January 4. in another tweet on Tuesday morning, January 5, ASUU advised the government to honour the agreement reached to avert the planned strike.

In another development, workers in public Polytechnics across the country on Wednesday, January 6, announced that they have commenced a nationwide warning strike. the workers under the union of senior staff association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP), said the strike was embarked on to protest the non-implementation of their demands.

Education

2021 UTME Forms: No Date Has Been Fixed for Commencement of Sale – Jamb

Published

2 weeks ago

January 4, 2021

NCBN

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said in a weekly bulletin of the Office of the Registrar that no date has been fixed for the commencement of the sale of the application documents for its 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry(DE). It warned the public not to fall prey to fraudsters.

Watch our Youtube Videos

In a press statement released by the Board against the backdrop of reports in some sections of the media that the Board had already commenced the sale of the forms for the 2021 application, it called such report false, misleading, and malicious. The Board, therefore, urged members of the general public not to be tricked into falling prey to the antics of these persons, who derive pleasure in causing confusion.

Incase You Missed:

2021 budget, Assembly didn’t pad, Oyo insists

We Will Face All Challenges Head-on – Buhari

President Buhari has reconstituted the NNPC board