The Federal Government has resumed talks with representatives of unions in the nation’s universities.

The Prof Nimi Briggs committee set up by the government to renegotiate the 2009 agreement was expected to end its three months’ timelines given on June 7, 2022.

But investigations revealed that the committee would meet Academic Staff Union of Universities on Monday (today) while the Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and allied institutions would have their meeting on Friday.

“We are meeting the FG committee in Abuja on Monday,” a source in ASUU said. The union’s National President, Emmanuel Osodeke, in an interview, also said the meetings would resume this week.

“We are resuming the meeting this week and we have an invitation this week. The renegotiation meeting will only end if we have called off the strike.

“Since the strike is still on, the meeting cannot end. We do not have any problem with the committee. When we do, we will communicate with the committee,” he said.

Similarly, the Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Allied Institutions’ National President, Ibrahim Mohammed, told news correspondent that SSANU’s meeting would be on Friday.

“Yes, we are meeting with the FG on Friday,” he said.

SSANU’s strike started with a warning strike of two weeks which commenced on the midnight of March 27, 2021, while the extension of another two weeks commenced on April 10, 2022 and it is still ongoing.

ASUU commenced its ongoing strike on February 14,  2022, after the Federal Government failed to meet some of its demands including, the release of revitalisation funds for universities, renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, release of earned allowances for university lecturers, and deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution.

National Universities Commission, NUC,
has approved 31 out of 37 courses presented to it by the Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo, for accreditation.

It was gathered that 31 of those courses, represented 96.0 per cent of what got NUC full accreditation status.

Meanwhile, Lagos State Governor, Bababjide Sanwo-Olu has received encomiums for bringing sustainable reforms to the state education sector, which were fast yielding positive results.

The Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Education, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this while reacting to the excellent 96.0 per cent performance of LASU in the recently released National Universities Commission’s (NUC) Comprehensive Accreditation Exercise for the year 2021.

Wahab who was full of appreciation to governor Sanwo-Olu for changing the face of education in the state, noted that the current administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S development agenda “is the fastest and most effective strategies in achieving transformational governance in the current democratic experience.”

Wahab noted that the state government’s huge investment in education as the third pillar of the Sanwo-Olu THEMES’ development agenda has repositioned the state education to become the model for the country.

According to the Special Adviser, “Out of 37 courses of the Lagos State University, LASU, presented by the University Authority for accreditation before NUC during October/ November 2021 NUC Academic Programmes Accreditation Exercise for Nigerian Universities, 31 of those courses representing 96.0 per cent got NUC full accreditation status.”

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Ibiyemi Bello said “such excellent feat is unprecedented in the history of the University since its 40 years of existence.”

According to the notification of results letter, written by NUC to LASU and signed by its Director of Accreditation, Dr. Maryam Sali, which was made available to the press, “LASU, during the October/November 2021 Comprehensive Accreditation Exercise conducted across all Nigerian Universities, got full accreditation for 31 out of the 37 courses presented before the Commission with an excellent Grade of 96.0 per cent.

“Only 4 courses, accounting for about 10.8 per cent were still under interim accreditation status.”

LASU courses that had NUC full accreditation according to NUC notification letter are: Accounting, Banking and Finance, Business Administration and Local Government and Development Studies.

In the Faculty of Arts, six courses of the University that gained NUC full accreditation include: Arabic Studies, Christian Religious Studies CRS, English Language, Islamic Studies, Yoruba Language and Music

Other fully accredited courses include; Nursing Science, Psychology, Pharmacology, all the 14 courses in the Faculty of Education , Law, Mathematics and Physics.

Four courses of the University with NUC interim accreditation status according to Sali include: Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering, Common and Islamic Law, Theatre Arts and Philosophy.

The NUC Director of Accreditation while stressing the implications of accreditation status on various courses, explained that full accreditation for any course is valid for a period of five years while interim accreditation is valid for a period of two years after which the programmes or courses will be revisited for accreditation.

According to her, any programme that earns interim status after two visits shall be denied accreditation by the commission.

According to the Vice Chancellor, the University had witnessed progressive developments since the inception of Sanwo –Olu administration, noting that, LASU programmes were running smoothly without any interruption because the governor has been showing great commitment to the growth of education with adequate funding while prioritizing the welfare of staff and students in policy formulation

Also, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Special Adviser on Education, Adeniran Kasali, urged the Management of LASU to reciprocate the state government continued funding of the university by working harder and ensure that the university maintain its status as the best state university in the country and one of the first five hundred in the world.

In his remarks, President elect of LASU Students’ Union Government, Adeoye Moses, a 300 Level Student in the Theatre Arts Department, attributed the success of the accreditation to the state government continued funding of tertiary education and the appointment of a hardworking educationist as the 9th Vice Chancellor of the University, Ibiyemi Bello.

Moses, while describing the success of the University’s new accreditation status as a huge one, assured that the students would work harder to ensure that the University retains its current status as one of the leading universities in Africa.

He advised them to shun cultism, kidnapping, alcoholism, terrorism, rapping and other vices capable of denting the image of the university before international communities.

The newly established King David University of Medical Sciences (KDUMS), at the weekend, matriculated a total of 54 students in Ebonyi State.

The students cut across the faculty of natural sciences (six candidates), faculty of medical sciences (37 candidates) and faculty of health sciences (eight candidates).

In a welcome address, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Jesse Uneke, noted that the establishment of the institution has ended Medical and Educational Tourism in the country.

He then lauded Governor David Umahi for his foresightedness in establishing the school

Governor Umahi who is the visitor to the institution, also promised that in the next academic session, another 14 students from the state and all the 36 states of the federation, as well as FCT, will be given scholarships by the state government as it did for the first set of the students.

He then warned the staff and students of the school against cultism and industrial action which according to him will not be healthy for the new institution.

“I know that the lecturers and staff all over the country have not been treated fairly but we want this institution to be very exceptional. We will also incorporate no strike by students or staff, we will fill the cup.

“I have heard your oath of office but the Ebonyi State oath of office is going to be more dangerous. If you are viewed to be a cultist whether you are a staff or a student, you are gone from the university. The Uburu man will pursue any cultist in this institution including those who encourage cultism,” he said.

The multibillion naira specialized university was built by the state government but taken over by the federal government following Umahi’s request.