The President, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Emmanuel Osodeke, has said that the union is willing to end its seven-month old strike.
Osodeke who gave the assurance in Abuja on Thursday at a National Town Hall Meeting on Tertiary Education tagged: ‘The Locked Gates of our Citadels -A National Emergency,’ said this however could only be achieved if concrete agreements were reached with the Federal Government.
Recall that the union embarked on industrial action on 14 February making it over seven months since public universities across the country were closed down.
The Federal Government recently sued ASUU at the industrial court in an attempt to end the strike.
“On all these issues, we have given the government a minimum that we can accept, but they have not responded on the issue of revitalisation, on the issue of earned allowance and on issues that we have all discussed.
”We negotiated and agreed that they should sign and this is very simple, not more than one day. On UTAS and IPPIS, we say release the report of the test you did and let’s look at the one who came first and take it as we agreed.
”So we have given them the minimum we want and we have to come down and they can do it in one day if there is a will,” he said.
Osodeke, therefore, reiterated the union’s commitment to return to school if the Federal Government puts its proposal on the table, saying that negotiation could be reached if the government was willing.
“If the government loves this country, these children and their parents, then they should come to the table and let us resolve these issues in one day.
“Just as we did in 2014, they should come and ensure that we do that, we can even have the meeting openly so that Nigeria will see what we are discussing,” he said.
The ASUU president expressed sadness over the lingering strike resulting in the government taking the union to court.
He said that suing the union was not an option as it would further worsen the situation of the students and tertiary education in the country.
He said that if the court forces the lecturers to return to school, they won’t force them to teach with open minds, saying that the students would definitely be at the receiving end.
Osodeke commended the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Pro-Chancellors for stepping in to resolve the issues
He, therefore, called on parents and students to appeal to the government to do the needful so that the strike would come to an end once and for all, rather than attacking the union.
Meanwhile, The convener, Save Public Education Campaign, an NGO, Vivian Bello pleaded with both parties to resolve the problems saying that the students are not the only people feeling the negative impact, but also the union.
Bello said that it behooves on both sides to bring the crisis to a perpetual end for the sake of the students as well as the development of education in the country.
”We are going to play our traditional role which is the role of monitor. We are going to keep very strong searchlights on the two actors- both in the government and on ASUU, in order to see that this issue of back and forth is quickly brought to an end the strike will be called-off,” she said.
Some of the contentious issues that led to the strike by the unions include the non-release of revitalisation fund, non-payment of earned allowance (or earned academic allowance), renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement, and the release of white paper for the visitation panel.
Others are: the non-payment of minimum wage arrears and the inconsistency occasioned by the use of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS)
The Delta State government has established 22 new schools, comprising of 13 new secondary schools and 9 new primary schools.
Commissioner for Works (Highways), Nuel Omodon, at the end of a State Executive Council meeting chaired by Deputy Governor Kingsley Otuaro, on Thursday in Asaba, explained that the approved the establishment of the new 22 schools to bridge education demand gaps in the state.
The commissioner added that the state government has approved funds for the payment of its counterpart funds of the Universal Basic Education projects for the 2022 cycle.
He also said that government also approved the restructuring and the renaming of certain secondary and primary schools in the state.
The state executive council further approved additional investment into a modern facility to produce flat bars and nails among others on equity participation at the Kwale Industrial Park.
The commissioner stated that the council also approved the training of 500 young women under its Girl Entrepreneurship and Skills Training Programme.
Omodon said also that roads projects were approved for rehabilitation and construction in Isoko, Warri, Burutu and Asaba local government areas, while approvals were given for the supply of laboratory and workshop equipment at the University of Delta, Agbor.
Nigerian Comedian and ace actor, Bovi Ugboma, has explained why he renovated his alma mater in Edo State, the University of Benin Staff School.
In a lengthy post on his Instagram page on Tuesday, Bovi stated that he had always given credit to the primary school for his present accomplishments.
He added that he was extremely sad when he saw the degenerative state of the facilities and was moved to renovate the 20-classroom block, two staff rooms and one library.
Bovi wrote, “Those who know me well know how I have always given credit to my primary school for what I have become. I consider my foundational path fortunate because I had the best teachers on my route from kindergarten to primary 5. They were so good that I remember all of them by name to this day.
“It was a prestigious institution sitting on a hectare of land. That’s triple the size of many learning institutions today. It was a school with international standards that only a few private schools can boast of today.
“So you can imagine my sadness when I visited the institution and saw the degenerative state of the facilities. I broke inside. Hence I spent the last three months painstakingly seeing the renovation of the 20 classroom block, 2 staff rooms and 1 library. In this building, I spent my final years (primaries 4 and 5).”
In another post, Bovi appreciated the Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shuaibu, for “squeezing the commissioning into his busy schedule. He only heard of this 12 hours prior to it’s opening and promised to be there.”
He further appreciated the UNIBEN Vice Chancellor, Professor Lilian Salami, and his fellow comedians, I Go Die and I Go Save, for their contributions.
The Federal Road Safety Corps in Osun State says it has cleared a gridlock on Gbongan-Ibadan Expressway, due to the ongoing protest by the National Association of Nigerian Students on the road.
The Sector Commander, Paul Okpe, made this disclosure in an interview in the state’s capital, Osogbo.
Okpe said that his officers and unit commanders swung into action when the information got to him about the protest which had resulted in gridlock, preventing easy movement of vehicles.
He said that the blockade had been removed and that motorists are plying the routes without any inconvenience.
According to him, the command’s unit commanders and other sister security agencies are present at the scene of the protest to ensure there is no more gridlock and breakdown of law and order.
Okpe, however, said that the command would monitor the situation to ensure that there was no more blockage across Osun for easy vehicular movements.
NANS on September 13, led students within the South-West region to protest the long-running Academic Staff Union of Universities strike, which had lasted for seven months.
The protesting students in their hundreds had earlier thronged the highway and blocked the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Shagamu Interchange on Tuesday.
La Place des Cinéastes, or as the English translation would be the Filmmakers Square, is a small roundabout that has a very colorful monument dedicated to the African cinema, located in the capital city of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou.
Located more precisely between the Avenue De La Nation, Avenue du Yatenga, Rue Du Travail and the Boulevard Monseigneur Joanny Tarvernaud, it has the shape of the letter V, which signifies the victory of the African cinema.
Nonetheless, in its additional explanation for the interesting shape, the architects imported the working tools of the filmmakers, such as camera lenses, film reels, zoom lenses and telephoto lenses.
The construction began in September 1986 according to the futuristic design of the architect Ali Fao and the urbanist Ignace Sawadogo, and it was completed in February 1987, where it was unveiled the following month.
Nowadays, when the Panafrican Festival of Cinema and Television of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) is happening in the capital of the West African country, the participants are coming to this monument to pay their respect to all those who have put their efforts and knowledge in the development of the African film industry.
This very dynamic monument, that sometimes is referred to as a rocket ready to fly towards the victory of the African filmmakers, shall continue to be one of the most significant memorials for the African film industry which is still evolving and becomes better with the passing years.
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) said that, from next Thursday, both Ladipo and Oyingbo markets would be shut down till further notice.
This is as a result of reckless waste dumping, refusal to pay for waste services, and general poor waste management situation at the markets.
LAWMA’s Managing Director/CEO, Ibrahim Odumboni, noted that the unwholesome environmental practices by traders in those markets, despite repeated warnings, called for necessary and immediate sanctions.
He said: “Our attention has been drawn to the deplorable state of the environment around Ladipo Market, Mushin and Oyingbo Market, resulting from reckless waste dumping by traders.
“Despite serving them abatement notices, they have continued the mindless environmental violation. We are left with no other choice than to evoke the necessary sanction of shutting down the markets. This is also meant to serve as a deterrent to other nonchalant markets.”
He said that the authority had, in recent times, redoubled its efforts to ensure that business activities in all Lagos markets were carried out in a clean and safe environment, for the good of all.
Odumboni noted further that: “We have intensified our sanitation efforts by deploying trucks to clear black spots across the metropolis, especially business facilities.
“However, these efforts are being tainted by the activities of mischievous persons who would rather dump their waste indiscriminately on the roads, than pay for waste services.”
He urged traders in other markets to adhere strictly to environmental hygiene or risk indefinite closure of their markets.
The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board has urged the House of Representatives Committee on Finance to grant it financial autonomy by removing it from the list of Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the annual budget of the Federal Government.
This is just as JAMB called for a reversal of the recent reduction of examination fee from N5, 000 to N3, 500.
The Registrar, JAMB, Ishaq Oloyede, made the appeal in Abuja on Wednesday at the public hearing on the proposed 2023-2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper organised by the committee.
Oloyede, however, noted that there are conditions to be met before JAMB could be removed from the annual budget.
According to him, one of the conditions is that the Board should be allowed to upwardly review examination fees.
The Registrar recalled that JAMB did a downward review in 2017 after remitting N7.5bn revenue.
He noted that the amount charged for registration was reduced from N5, 000 to N3,500.
Oloyede said, “There is nowhere that government funds this type of examination. They provide some support for the institution because students pay some token as registration fee; and from it, they bear the responsibility of salaries and provide some succours.
“We are comfortable to be taken off the budget but there are conditions. One of the conditions, for example, when students registered in 2016, we collected N5, 000 and that had been on for five years before I joined (JAMB). When we came in, we remitted N7.5bn. We felt it was too much and approached the Federal Government to reduce the fees. We have not added a kobo since.
“I believe we should revert to the N5, 000 we were charging.”
The committee’s Deputy Chairman, Saidu Abdulahi, said the lawmakers were concerned about the impact of Oloyede’s proposal on the disposable income of Nigerians.
The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board has urged the House of Representatives Committee on Finance to grant it financial autonomy by removing it from the list of Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the annual budget of the Federal Government.
This is just as JAMB called for a reversal of the recent reduction of examination fee from N5, 000 to N3, 500.
The Registrar, JAMB, Ishaq Oloyede, made the appeal in Abuja on Wednesday at the public hearing on the proposed 2023-2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper organised by the committee.
Oloyede, however, noted that there are conditions to be met before JAMB could be removed from the annual budget.
According to him, one of the conditions is that the Board should be allowed to upwardly review examination fees.
The Registrar recalled that JAMB did a downward review in 2017 after remitting N7.5bn revenue.
He noted that the amount charged for registration was reduced from N5, 000 to N3,500.
Oloyede said, “There is nowhere that government funds this type of examination. They provide some support for the institution because students pay some token as registration fee; and from it, they bear the responsibility of salaries and provide some succours.
“We are comfortable to be taken off the budget but there are conditions. One of the conditions, for example, when students registered in 2016, we collected N5, 000 and that had been on for five years before I joined (JAMB). When we came in, we remitted N7.5bn. We felt it was too much and approached the Federal Government to reduce the fees. We have not added a kobo since.
“I believe we should revert to the N5, 000 we were charging.”
The committee’s Deputy Chairman, Saidu Abdulahi, said the lawmakers were concerned about the impact of Oloyede’s proposal on the disposable income of Nigerians.
Swiss tennis great Roger Federer has announced his retirement from the sport, saying next week’s Laver Cup will be his final ATP tournament; “Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognise when it is time to end my competitive career”
Roger Federer will retire from tennis after next week’s Laver Cup, aged 41.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion has been struggling with a knee problem for the last three years and has decided now is the time to step away.
Federer will play in next week’s Laver Cup in London, the Ryder Cup-style competition that was his brainchild, but will then leave the professional game.
Federer made the announcement via a letter posted on social media, which began: “To my tennis family and beyond. Of all the gifts that tennis has given me over the years, the greatest, without a doubt, has been the people I’ve met along the way: my friends, my competitors, and most of all the fans who give the sport its life. Today, I want to share some news with all of you.
“As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries. I’ve worked hard to return to full competitive form.
But I also know my body’s capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear. I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognise when it is time to end my competitive career.
“The Laver Cup next week in London will be my final ATP event. I will play more tennis in the future, of course, but just not in Grand Slams or on the tour.”
Federer’s Grand Slam record has now been surpassed by both his great rival Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, but many people, especially the legions of fans he brought to the sport, will still consider him the greatest of all time.
Federer continued: “This is a bittersweet decision, because I will miss everything the tour has given me. But, at the same time, there is so much to celebrate.
“I consider myself one of the most fortunate people on Earth. I was given a special talent to play tennis, and I did it at a level that I never imagined, for much longer than I ever thought possible.”
Federer has not played a competitive match since losing to Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon last summer.
He subsequently announced he needed more surgery on his knee having previously undergone two operations in 2020 that kept him out for more than a year.
The Swiss had targeted a full return following the last operation but it became increasingly clear his rehabilitation was not going as well as he had hoped.
Federer, who won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003, thanked his family for their support, writing: “I would like to especially thank my amazing wife Mirka, who has lived through every minute with me.
“She has warmed me up before finals, watched countless matches even while over eight months pregnant, and has endured my goofy side on the road with my team for over 20 years.
“I also want to thank my four wonderful children for supporting me, always eager to explore new places and creating wonderful memories along the way. Seeing my family cheering me on from the stands is a feeling I will cherish forever.”
Federer’s retirement, coming less than a fortnight after Serena Williams was given an emotional send-off at the US Open, is another indication that this momentous era in tennis is drawing to a close.
“I was lucky enough to play so many epic matches that I will never forget,” said Federer.
“We battled fairly, with passion and intensity, and I always tried my best to respect the history of the game. I feel extremely grateful. We pushed each other, and together we took tennis to new levels.
“Above all, I must offer a special thank you to my unbelievable fans. You will never know how much strength and belief you have given me.
“The inspiring feeling of walking into full stadiums and arenas has been one of the huge thrills in my life. Without you, those successes would have felt lonely, rather than filled with joy and energy.
“The last 24 years on tour have been an incredible adventure. While it sometimes feels like it went by in 24 hours, it has also been so deep and magical that it seems as if I’ve already lived a full lifetime.”
Finally, to the game of tennis: I love you and will never leave you.Roger Federer
Concluding his letter, Federer wrote: “When my love of tennis started, I was a ball kid in my hometown of Basel. I used to watch the players with a sense of wonder.
“They were like giants to me and I began to dream. My dreams led me to work harder and I started to believe in myself. Some success brought me confidence and I was on my way to the most amazing journey that has led to this day.
“So, I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart, to everyone around the world who has helped make the dreams of a young Swiss ball kid come true. Finally, to the game of tennis: I love you and will never leave you.”
Federer’s career in numbers
20 – Grand Slam titles
31 – Grand Slam finals
23 – consecutive appearances in Grand Slam semi-finals from 2004 to 2010, an all-time record
36 – consecutive appearances in Grand Slam quarter-finals
65 – consecutive Grand Slam appearances from the Australian Open in 2000 to the French Open in 2016
8 – Wimbledon titles, the most of any man
6 – Australian Open titles
5 – US Open titles
1 – French Open title
1,251 – career matches won out of 1,526
369 – match wins in Grand Slams
22 – consecutive appearances at Wimbledon
310 – weeks spent at world No 1, 237 of them consecutively
36 – at 36 years and 320 days, Federer was the oldest world No 1 in ATP history
5 – Federer has reached the final at every Grand Slam at least five times
103 – career titles, second in the Open era behind Jimmy Connors
6 – titles won at the ATP Finals, an all-time record
10 – titles won at the ATP events in Basle and Halle
12 – titles won in 2006, his most successful season
92 – matches won from 97 played in 2006
65 – consecutive matches won on grass from 2003 to 2008
3 – Federer reached the finals of all the Grand Slams in three different seasons
2 – Olympic medals; gold in doubles with Stan Wawrinka in 2008 and silver in singles in 2012
24 – losses to his great rival Rafael Nadal from 40 matches
130,594,339 – career prize money (US dollars)
550million – estimated net worth (USD)
Reaction to Federer announcing his retirement
Rafael Nadal tweeted: “Dear Roger,my friend and rival. I wish this day would have never come. It’s a sad day for me personally and for sports around the world. It’s been a pleasure but also an honor and privilege to share all these years with you, living so many amazing moments on and off the court.
“We will have many more moments to share together in the future, there are still lots of things to do together, we know that. For now, I truly wish you all the happiness with your wife, Mirka, your kids, your family and enjoy what’s ahead of you. I’ll see you in London @LaverCup.”
Wimbledon tweeted: “Roger, Where do we begin? It’s been a privilege to witness your journey and see you become a champion in every sense of the word. We will so miss the sight of you gracing our courts, but all we can say for now is thank you, for the memories and joy you have given to so many.”
Tennis pioneer Billie jean King tweeted: “Roger Federer is a champion’s champion. He has the most complete game of his generation & captured the hearts of sports fans around the world with an amazing quickness on the court & a powerful tennis mind. He has had a historic career w/memories that will live on and on. Congratulations Roger Federer. We wish you the very best as your journey continues.”
Judy Murray tweeted: “The end of a magnificent era……”
Juan Martin del Potro tweeted: “I LOVE YOU, Roger. Thank you for everything you’ve done in tennis and with myself. Tennis world will never be the same without you.”
Andy Roddick, who lost three times to Federer in the Wimbledon final, tweeted: “Cheers Roger. Thanks for the shared memories my friend. It was an honor to share time/experiences on the most hallowed grounds in our sport. Don’t be a stranger. Also, seems like a good time to start training for Wimby. (Obviously kidding)”
James Blake tweeted: “Roger, there was and never will be anyone like you. You crushed me on the court, but were so nice and genuine that I couldn’t hate you for it. You made the game better on and off the court and you will be missed. Good luck, you have earned all the success and joy in the world.”
Martina Navratilova added: “What a heartfelt message, full of love, life, hope, passion and gratitude. Which is exactly how Roger played the game we love so much. Thank you thank you thank you, for all the magic!!!”
Croft: ‘Federer is one of the greatest of all time’
The way that he played the game with the grace and the way that he handled everything outside of the sport as well – amazing!Annabel Croft
Annabel Croft believes Federer will be remembered as an all-time great, telling Sky Sports: “Every time he stepped on a tennis court he was coping with enormous pressure and expectation and yet he seemed to lap it up.
“But he also transcended sport because he took tennis from the back pages to the front pages wherever he was in the world.
“He had this unbelievable following and it didn’t seem to matter who he was up against or whichever country they came from, people always wanted him to win. For many of his opponents, it would be tough for them because I remember him playing Andy Murray at London’s O2 and the majority of the people were cheering for him which was quite extraordinary.
“He will be remembered as one of the greatest of all time despite being overtaken by one of his greatest rivals in Rafael Nadal, while Novak Djokovic has also overtaken him. But for me, I think the way that he played the game with grace and the way that he handled everything outside of the sport as well – amazing!”
Kebbi State Universal Basic Education Board (KBSUBEB) chairman, Prof. Suleiman Khalid, said that the board had stepped-up efforts to return 750,000 out-of-school children to classroom across the state.
Khalid announced the plan of the board when a delegation on Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) Implementation Support Team from Abuja paid a courtesy visit on Gov. Atiku Bagudu in Government House, Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday.
The chairman said 86,000 out-of-school children were returned to school in 2021 across the state, adding that in 2022, it was planned that 750,000 of such children would be returned to school.
“These, among others, are some of the incredible achievements we have recorded sequel to the sustained support of Gov. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu,” he said.
Receiving the delegation, Gov. Bagudu restated his commitment to adequately fund education at all levels in the state, while appreciating the successes recorded in returning out-of-school children to classes in the state under the project.
While assuring of the readiness of his administration to logically and judiciously deploy resources to achieve better results, Bagudu observed that the myriad of interventions by the federal and Kebbi state governments had positively opened the fortunes of education in the state.
“These interventions had really helped to arrest the hitherto high level of decay in the educational institutions in the state.
Let me acknowledge that BESDA had also enabled the state to do what it should have done earlier, this is a wake up call.
“I am delighted that SUBEB in the state has been doing very well, I want to assure that more will be done.
“Kebbi is successfully implementing many intervention projects with the Federal Government, World Bank and other agencies.
“Education planning depends on statistics, I want to direct those in charge to be mindful of the sanctity of data,” Bagudu directed.
The Team Leader, Dr Bala Zakari who is also the Deputy Executive Secretary, Technical, UBEC Abuja, said BESDA was a result-oriented project under the Federal Ministry of Education expected to end next month.
He explained that it was a four-year programme that had received tremendous support from Kebbi State Government.
Zakari also lauded the state for the support and cooperation it gave during the just concluded National Personnel Audit, adding that BESDA was targeting out-of-school children, to get them back to school.
The National Implementation Adviser, BESDA, Dr Dabo Adamu, stated that Kebbi remained one of the best BESDA states in the country, assuring that it was why the state government earned $5 miliion after the first NBS verification.
“The state will earn more during the forthcoming second leg of the exercise.
I, therefore, want to request His Excellency to improve financial support to Kebbi SUBEB to achieve optimum result,” he advised.
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