Ibadan Polytechnic Shun ASUP Nationwide Strike

Lecturers at The Polytechnic, Ibadan have shunned the nationwide industrial action embarked upon the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics.

The union had, on Tuesday, declared an indefinite strike to demand the implementation of a new salary scheme for polytechnic lecturers.

Part of ASUP’s demands are implementation of a new salary scale for polytechnic lecturers and payment of salaries and allowances to lecturers owed by some state governments.

Lecturers at the polytechnic, Ibadan, however, said that they were not part of the ongoing nationwide industrial action called by the national body of ASUP.

A NAN correspondent, who visited the institution, observed that normal academic activities were going on, with students seen in their various classes receiving lectures.

One of the lecturers, Mr Biodun Akere, told NAN that the school calendar was still running, adding that students had been receiving lectures unhindered since the commencement of the second semester of 2019/2020 academic session

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Kogi State Government Begins Covid-19 Vaccination

THE Kogi State Government on Tuesday officially flagged off the vaccination of citizens against coronavirus with a pledge that nobody would be deprived of taking the COVID-19 vaccines.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Haruna Saka, who made this pledge in Lokoja, explained that the state government had also resolved not to compel any individual in the state to take the vaccine.

Saka disclosed that the state government received about 16,900 unit of the vaccines, adding another 16,900 of AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine was expected in the state in a couple of weeks.

Some top officials that took the vaccine are the Health Commissioner, Dr Saka Haruna; Information Commissioner, Kingsley Fanwo; state CAN Chairman, Bishop John Ibenu; Director, Primary Health Care Development Agency, Abubakar Yakubu, among others.

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Poly Lecturers Set To Continue Strike Despite Meeting With Federal Government

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics on Tuesday met with the Federal Government, but said that its strike which commenced at 12 midnight would still stand.

The President of ASUP, Anderson Ezeibe, said this at the Federal Ministry of Education after a meeting with the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu.

He said the strike had not been suspended, adding that the meeting with the minister was the beginning of a resolution, “and until it has been satisfactorily resolved, the strike must go on.”

Ezeibe said, “Today, therefore marks Day 1 of the execution of the resolutions of our union. The strike has not been suspended as it is just a few hours old. The meeting with the minister is just the beginning of a resolution and until it has been satisfactorily resolved, the strike must go on”, he said.

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Owerri Jailbreak Worst In History – Minister Of Interior

Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has described the Monday jailbreak at Owerri Correctional Center and the razing of the Imo State Police Command headquarters as the worst in the recent history of the country.

The minister, who spoke to journalists in Owerri on Tuesday while inspecting the extent of damage done to the Owerri Correctional Centre, said that the federal government would treat the attackers as criminals.

The ex-governor of Osun State who said that the attackers operated as terrorists, ordered the relocation of Owerri Recreational Club and other structures which he said were posing as a security threat to the premises of the Owerri Custodial Centre.

He called on the 1884 inmates who escaped during the attack to return to the correctional facility or face the consequences.

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President Buhari Appoints New IGP

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has appointed a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, as the acting Inspector-General of Police with immediate effect.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, disclosed this to State House correspondents in Abuja on Tuesday.

Baba is taking over from Mohammed Adamu, whose tenure Buhari extended for three months on February 4.

He has only spent about two months out of the three-month extension.

Adamu was on Tuesday sacked as the Inspector-General of Police shortly after visiting the Imo Police Command headquarters and the Owerri Correctional Service that were burnt on Monday.

The former IGP had during his visit to the scene of the attack ordered operatives to be ruthless against members of the proscribed Independent People of Biafra.

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ASUP Begins Indefinite Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics has commenced an indefinite strike with effect from today.

The union said this followed the failure of the government to address the sorry state of polytechnics and monotechnics and the expiration of the ultimatum issued since March 2020.

The action is coming less than a week after resident doctors embarked on a nationwide strike over non-payment of allowances and other issues.

Announcing this at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday,  the ASUP President,  Anderson Ezeibe, said academic activities had been shut shown in all polytechnics and like institutions nationwide with effect from 12am, April 6.

According to him, the union’s demands were communicated to the ministries of education, labour and others as well as to state governors but nothing was done about them.

Ezeibe listed the lecturers’ grievances to include non-implementation of 2014 NEEDS Report and non-release of revitalization fund to the sector despite assurances since 2017.

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Judiciary Staff Shut Federal High Court In Lagos

Members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, on Tuesday, shut down the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos State.

They also sent out staff from offices, court rooms and premises of the court around 09am.

Newsmen learnt that the JUSUN members were enforcing their indefinite nationwide strike, which started on Tuesday (today).

They also sealed some of the offices and pasted strike notices on their entrances.

JUSUN had on Thursday declared an indefinite nationwide strike over its demand for financial autonomy for the judiciary.

The union had at its national executive meeting in Abuja on March 13, 2021, issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government.

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Dangote Partners Ogun State On International Trade Fair

Dangote Industries Limited has announced its partnership with the Ogun State Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the 10th Gateway International Trade Fair 2021.

The Group’s Chief Branding and Communication Officer, Anthony Chiejina, in a statement on Monday, said the group had concluded plans to scale up investments in the agricultural sector in response to the on-going public policy focus of the Federal Government.

He hinted that as part of the company’s support to the development of the agricultural sector, the three million ton per annum fertiliser plant it was currently constructing at Ibeju Lekki, Lagos would be commissioned soon to boost agricultural activities in the country.

Chiejina explained that all the subsidiaries of the company would be at the trade fair and urged members of the public to take advantage of this year’s fair to strike partnership with the group for business opportunities.

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Bangladesh Ferry Accident Death Toll Reach 34

The death toll from a ferry accident in Bangladesh at the weekend rose to at least 34 after six more bodies were retrieved, officials said Tuesday.

The ferry packed with around 50 passengers heading home from the central city of Narayanganj ahead of an impending coronavirus lockdown had collided with a larger cargo vessel late on Sunday.

Authorities called off a search-and-rescue mission on Monday after salvaging the ship from the heavily polluted Shitalakshya river and recovering 22 bodies.

But under pressure from relatives of people still missing, rescuers late Monday resumed operations with helicopters to scour the murky waters for any more bodies.

“Based on the relatives’ account, at least two people are still missing,” local official Mustain Billah told AFP.

Under Bangladesh’s seven-day lockdown in response to surging Covid cases, all domestic travel services were suspended on Monday and shops and malls were shut.

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Anambra State Police Confirms Release Of Kidnapped Governor’s Aide

ANAMBRA State Commissioner for Public Utilities, Emeka Ezenwanne, who was abducted by gunmen on Wednesday during an attack on former governor of the Central Bank, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has been released.

Soludo, who is vying for the November 6 governorship poll in the state, was having an interactive session with some youths in his hometown, Isuofia, in the Aguata Local Government Area of the state when the hoodlums struck and abducted the commissioner.

Three police men on duty during the occasion were killed and their guns taken away.

A source said, “I just spoke to the commissioner; he has been freed, and he is in good health too. He was released at about 1am on Easter day. He said he didn’t pay any ransom, and also told me that his abductors did not maltreat him in anyway.

The state Public Relations Officer, Ikenga Tochukwu, confirmed the release of Governor Willie Obiano’s aide.

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