Two students of the University of Ilorin have won the prestigious awards of the International Centre for Biotechnology under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

According to the University of Ilorin Bulletin issued on Monday, the students were awarded the scholarship for having good academic records in the organisation’s educational peer review.

It stated that the duo, Samson Oyebamiji of the Department of Microbiology and Sodiq Alasi of the Department of Food Engineering, won the award of UNESCO ICB MSc. Scholarship and UNESCO ICB Final Year undergraduate scholarship.

The University publication added that a letter, by the Chairman, Scholarships Award Committee, Prof. Umezuruike Opara, commended the students for applying for the MSc. Scholarship of the UNESCO International Centre for Biotechnology (UNESCO ICB).

He said this was based on the criteria advertised, including course of study related to Biotechnology/BioSciences and good academic records, the Scholarships Awards Committee (SAC) reviewed all applications submitted.

“Congratulations, it is our pleasure to award the UNESCO ICB MSc. Scholarships to you, Samson Oyebamiji of the Department of Microbiology, University of Ilorin, for N1,014,914.67 and the Final Year Undergraduate Scholarships to you, Sodiq Alasi of the Department of Food Engineering, University of Ilorin, for N500,000.00.

“This award is to support your tuition fee, accommodation, books and living expenses during your MSc. and undergraduate studies at the university,” he said.

The Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti has splashed N640,000 on outstanding returning students who won the Rector’s Scholars Award by coming first in the different departments for last academic session.

The school’s rector, Dr Hephzibah Oladebeye, said the award comprising N640,000 for 63 outstanding Higher National Diploma and National Diploma students and N10,000 for a fresh student who mastered and could recite the institution’s anthem in short time, was to serve as motivation for all freshmen to help them strive towards excellence quite early.

Oladebeye spoke in Ado Ekiti during the matriculation ceremony for 10,000 fresh students for 2021/22 academic session, where the best students received the cash award and Certificate of Merit.

He further charged the fresh students to strive to excel so that it would be their turn to be recognised during next year’s matriculation ceremony.

The students were charged to key into the compulsory entrepreneurship programme of the school; “Entrepreneurship is all about creativity and motivation. Our dear polytechnic is unrelenting in its drive to produce industry-compliant graduates and fulfilled entrepreneurs in line with the government’s policy of ensuring that today’s graduates aspire to be job creators rather than job seekers.

“We are determined to ensure that by the end of your ND or HND studies, each if you must have learnt a skill or trade that can stand you in good stead in the future, the rector added.

The Nigeria Labour Congress has called on the Federal Government to end the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities and other university-based unions.

The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, made the call in his contributions to the report of the Director-General, International Labour Organisation, during the 110th International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

The conference which opened on Tuesday has the theme, “Social justice, decent work.”

According to Wabba, the NLC has written to the Federal Government on how to end the university workers’ strike.

“We call on the government to bring this strike to an end without further delay,” he said.

While the Federal Government continue to work on the demands of the unions, academic activities across all public universities have been suspended.

Wabba said that the NLC had written to President Muhammadu Buhari on how to use a high-powered delegation to end the strike.

He said that one of the main issues in contention was the deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, a salary payment platform developed by ASUU.

“I think the process has been concluded, what we are waiting for is for that process to reconvene again and for that issue to be resolved. We opened that channel of intervention among others.

“I am also aware that the Interfaith Religious Council also met with Mr President and the thinking was in the same direction.

“We will be very committed to reviewing that process and making sure that our children are made to go back to school.

“The best way to resolve disputes under the ILO rule is through a social dialogue process that works and that respects collective bargaining agreements.

“That will be a lasting option to addressing some of those issues and disputes, and I think it is high time that was done,” he said.

Anambra State Governor, Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo, (CFR) has directed a repeat of the online recruitment exam for teachers in Anambra State; which is in line with his objective of ensuring transparency and fairness to all.

Governor Soludo has, therefore, directed the Hon Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh to conduct a repeat of the exercise to make up for the shortfall in the Saturday 4th of June preliminary Teacher’s Recruitment Examination.

He has further directed that all expenses for the test be covered by the Government.

To ensure transparency in the exercise, steps were taken by the Ministry of Education charged with the responsibility. The Ministry received over 40,000 applications and listed about 31,800 qualified applicants after reviews.

Applicants considered too old for civil service, Graduates without NYSC discharged certificates or Exemption letter and other deficiencies were disqualified.

Against the proposed 5,000 qualified applicants shortlisted for CBT exam, the governor directed that all the over 31,000 listed applicants should be given equal chance to participate in a preliminary online exam, before shortlisting the successful applicants for 2nd CBT exam.

Other measures necessary to attain reliability and credibility of the test were taken.  It is in a bid to make up and ensure that all eligible candidates are carried along and that the governor has approved a repeat of the exercise.

He assures Ndi-Anambra that their interest will be protected at all times by his administration.

The university unions’ and  Federal Government renegotiation committee sitting ended yesterday.

The Federal Government on March 7, 2022, inaugurated a seven-person committee tasked with the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the other three unions including, The Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and The National Association of Academic Technologists.

The committee which was chaired by Pro-Chancellor, Alex Ekweme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Emeritus Professor Nimi Briggs was given three months to conclude the renegotiation with ASUU and other unions.

According to ASUU and SSANU national presidents, Emmanuel Osodeke and Mohammed Ibrahim respectively, the Briggs committee has been meeting with the various unions since May 2022 to renegotiate their agreements.

Osodeke told news correspondent ‘‘There is progress but it depends on the government side. We had a fairly good meeting we are still trying to resolve the issues.

“Until we get the final report from the government.  We are trying to work in the same direction. They are also testing UTAS.’’

It is believed that the committee would submit its report to the FG this week or they could be given an extension.

The Committee, which is expected to review the draft proposed FGN/ASUU Agreement, has the following Terms of Reference, liaise and consult with relevant stakeholders to finalise the position of the Federal Government to the issues in the draft proposed FGN/ASUU Renegotiated Agreement; renegotiate in realistic and workable terms the 2009 Agreements with other University-Based Unions; negotiate and recommend any other issue the Committee deems relevant to reposition the NUC for global competitiveness; and submit proposed draft agreements within three months from the date of inauguration.

Likewise, all the unions are presently on strike over unmet demands of the 2009 agreements with the unions.

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.

SSANU’s strike started with a warning strike of two weeks which commenced on March 27, 2021, while the extension of another two weeks commenced on Sunday April 10, 2022. It is ongoing, having being reported that it has been extended by a month.

Some of the demands of SSANU include the inconsistent issue of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, unpaid earned allowances, and delay in the renegotiation of FGN, NASU, SSANU agreements, and non-payment of minimum wage arrears.

Others include neglect and poor funding of state universities, non-payment of retirement benefits to outgoing members of the unions, and usurpation of the headship of non-teaching units in clear violation of conditions of service and establishment procedures, among others.

Other members of the Briggs committee are Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Wukari, Arc. Lawrence Patrick Ngbale, who represents North East; Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, Prof. Funmi Togunu-Bickersteth, representing South West and Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Lokoja, Senator Chris Adighije, representing South East.

Also on the team are Pro-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof. Olu Obafemi from North-Central; Pro-Chancellor, Kano State University of Science & Technology, Prof. Zubairu Iliyasu, representing North West; and Pro-Chancellor, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Mathew Seiyefa from South-South.