The National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT on Wednesday said it sympathized with Nigerian students over the long closure of public universities.

NAAT also said that the Federal Government should be blamed for the snail speed in the negotiation process to resolve the lingering strike.

The association’s position was contained in a statement issued by its President, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma which was made available to journalists in Abuja.

Comrade Nwokoma, who called on relevant stakeholders and well meaning Nigerians to prevail on the government to bring the ongoing negotiation to a logical end, said that NAAT was tired of signing Memorandum of Action, MoA or Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with timelines that are not implemented at the end of the day.

The statement read in part: “We wish to put it on record and also put the records straight that the Federal Government should be blamed for the lingering strike action by the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).

“The truth is that we are tired of signing Memorandum of Action or Understanding with timelines with Government for which Government has over time failed woefully to abide by.

“The leadership of the union sympathies with the students for which its children are part of and therefore re-states its commitment to go back to work but wish to plead with well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Government to as a matter of urgency bring the Negotiations to a logical conclusion as soon as possible

“It is important to re-state the following:

“The union had a conciliatory meeting with the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment on the 6th of May, 2022 and another tripartite plus meeting chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President at the villa on the 12th of May, 2022. Unfortunately none of these meetings yielded the desired results.

“The meetings of 21st of March and 21st of April, 2022 with the Renegotiation Committee is by all ramifications slow as no financial commitment has been made by Government to our union apart from the recent meetings by a sister union with Government.

“NAAT therefore pleads with Government to hasten up the process of the Renegotiation to enable all outstanding issues to be sorted out amicably.”

The Edo State Government has suspended forthwith, all union activities across all state-owned tertiary institutions in the state.

The Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie, announced the suspension in a statement.

He disclosed that the decision was taken at the state executive council meeting held on Wednesday, in response to a peaceful protest on Tuesday by students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma.

The students had asked the management of the institution to suspend all forms of staff/lecturers unionism, to enable a free flow of academic activities in the institution.

According to the SSG, unions affected include ASUU, NASU, SSANU, ASUP and NASUP.

The statement which instructed the management of AAU to henceforth implement a no-work-no-pay policy, reads further:

“Following the protest by students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, over the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Edo State Government at the State Executive Council meeting on Wednesday suspended all union activities across all state-owned institutions of higher learning.

“Unions affected include ASUU, Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Non-Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and all allied unions operating across all state-owned tertiary institutions.

“By this notice, academic activities are to resume in all state-owned institutions and all cadre of staff are directed to report to their duty posts immediately.

“Students across all state-owned tertiary institutions are expected to resume for lectures as necessary measures have been taken to ensure resumption of academic and non-academic activities.

“Management of the affected institutions have been mandated to pay all outstanding salaries immediately.

“The management of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, is hereby directed to implement a no-work-no-pay policy, declare vacant and advertise the position of any staff that refuses to resume work in line with this directive.”

The AAU students had on Tuesday asked the management of the institution to suspend all forms of staff/lecturers unionism, to enable a free flow of academic activities in the institution.

The Nigeria’s Anti-narcotic agency, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has asked that youth corps members undergo drug test as they report for their mandatory one year national service at the various orientation camps across the country as part of efforts to reduce the use of drugs.

Chief Executive of the agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) made the call when he hosted the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Fadah who led his management team on a courtesy visit to the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja Nigeria’s Capital.

The NDLEA chief painted a picture of Nigeria’s drug problem with facts and figures from the 2018 national drug survey while calling for collective efforts to change the narrative.

According to him, “There is the need for drug test for our youth corps members as they report at the orientation camps. Once they know there’ll be drug test at the camps, they will abstain from it. The whole essence is to ensure help gets to those who test positive early. This is part of our War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, initiative.

“Nigeria has a drug issue. We’re determined to ensure this is changed but we can’t do it alone, we need organisations like NYSC to reduce and control demand for drugs. Nigeria has insufficient rehabilitation and counselling centres.

“We need counselling centres in the primary health care centres at the grassroots, where we don’t have enough manpower to cover and this is where the young men and women of NYSC come in. We can train them in their numbers to serve as counsellors at the grassroots level because majority of drug users only need counselling.”

Speaking earlier, Brig. Gen. Fadah said he came on the visit to appreciate NDLEA its support to the scheme and also ask for further collaboration as NYSC prepares to open the gates of orientation camps across the country.

United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF has identified limited and inequitable access to education in Katsina State, North-West Nigeria, by saying it contributes to transition challenge facing school age children at the basic education level.

The UN agency also said is one of the major factors contributing to the scourge of out of school children in Katsina state.

It added that numbers of primary schools in the state are higher than the existing junior secondary schools.

UNICEF Education Specialist, Muntaka Mukhtar made these known in Katsina , Katsina State, during a Media Dialogue,  part of activities of the Girl’s Education Projects  3,(GEP3) funded by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development office FCDO, of the UK and implemented by UNICEF.

He further disclosed that Katsina State has recorded a total number of two hundred and sixty seven thousand Girls that are Out of School.

Mukhtar who revealed that in overall 536,132 children including boys are Out of School in Katsina State stated that the data were derived from the 2018 National Personnel Audit of the Universal Basic Education Commission.

Muntaka identified common gender norms such as child marriage , violence and fragility as factors that have put girls at disadvantage.

The UNICEF Education Specialist added that barriers like poverty and safety to access have continued to lead girls to drop out of schools at higher rates.

He disclosed that GEP 3, been presently extended to September 2022 establishes and support safe schools mechanism through community school partnership.

“The GEP 3 provides girls with Education support kits and Menstrual Hygiene Management skills to increase attendance and retention in Junior Secondary Schools,“

Earlier in his opening remarks, UNICEF Senior Education Manager of kano, Micheal Banda said UNICEF through the UK FCDO GEP3 funded project is partnering with the media to address transition challenges facing girls education from primary to junior secondary school.

According to Banda, a larger proportion of girls drop out of school in Katsina and this led to positive discrimination which involves positioning of girls into the system.

“GEP 3 Since 2012 focus on getting opportunity for girls to complete their education and transit to higher education.“

Also Katsina State Permanent Member State Universal Basic Education, Ashiru Sani, said the state government is working on sustainability plan to own the content of the GEP 3.

He said the state will continue to conduct enrolment drive campaigns to improve retention and transition to higher level to sustain the successes recorded between 2012 and 2021

 

The National Youth Service Corps, NYSC,  warned South East field officers against indulging in corruption, extortion, imposition of unapproved dues and taking advantage of female Corps members while carrying out their assignments to the Nation.

The Corps handed down the warning during a two-day training workshop for Field officers of NYSC formations in the South East at the NYSC Office in Abakaliki.

In his keynote address, the Director General, NYSC, Brig Gen. Mohammed Fadah, who was represented by Deputy Director, NYSC,  Area office, Enugu,  Emeka Ani advised that “Funds meant for inspection exercises should not be diverted for other uses by Zonal and Local Government Inspectors.

“As a corollary to the above, let me emphatically state that my administration would have zero tolerance for corruption, especially as it relates to extortion, imposition of unapproved dues and taking advantage of female corps members.

“Inspectors must live above board and desist from any actions that would taint the image of the scheme. Your attitude to work and general conduct must conform to ethical standards in all ramifications, reflecting honesty, loyalty, integrity and commitment.”

He called on Inspectors to “be abreast with and look out for the tactics employed by corps members and some employers to evade service and perpetrate acts inimical to the ideals of the Scheme.” adding that an ideal Inspector in the NYSC Scheme, should not only carry out routine on-the-spot inspection of the Corps, but also, “undertake  supervision, monitoring, evaluation and provide periodic reports on activities of corps members to management.”

According to him, “the training is designed to provide participants with adequate knowledge of the Inspection principles and procedures of the scheme. It also aims to establish performance standards, sharpen and improve the appraisal skills of participants and engender self confidence in Inspectors in the course of performing their duties, hence the choice of the theme, “Effective and Efficient Inspection as a Panacea for Defective Corps Administration.

“It is therefore my  sincere hope that this training will also afford participants the opportunity to interact with each other, exchange ideas and proffer solutions capable of enhancing the inspection process.”

In a welcome address, the NYSC State Coordinator, Bamai Mercy added that “since the NYSC Area Office system was re-introduced into the Scheme’s operation, they have as one of their core mandates to inspect and monitor the activities of Corps members and the Officers at the Field and in-the course of doing that, there have been observed lapses in Corps administration by the Officers.

“Change is also said to be the only permanent phenomenon in life and as such the NYSC Field Officers are expected to be abreast with the current operational changes in the Scheme, as they concern their duties. Hence the organization of this training is to address the lapses as well as equip them with the current operational changes for effective service delivery.

“To Course Participants, this is an opportunity of a life time. I therefore urge you to take it very seriously and participate actively to ensure you harness all the gains there in.

“The training programme has been carefully packaged and the papers are going to be presented by experienced Officers, it is hoped that at the end of the day, we all will be glad participating in it.