Tertiary institution students in Ondo State under the auspices of the National Association of University Students (NAUS) on Wednesday blocked the busy Ibadan-Akure-Abuja highway in protest over the ongoing strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The blockade caused heavy vehicular traffic along the highway as many heavy duty trucks and passengers bus going to and fro Abuja, Lagos or Benin were stranded.
Motorists travelling to nearby communities along the highway resorted to taking alternative untarred route.
The Federal Government says it has so far paid over N92 billion as earned allowances and revitalisation to federal universities across the country.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, who disclosed this in an interview with State House Correspondents, said this was part of the implementation of the 2020 December agreement reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige,
He explains: “Why I said that the 2020 December agreement we had with ASUU is on course in terms of implementation, is that in that agreement, there is a line that says the federal government should pay N40 billion for (Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) for ASUU and other unions, that has been paid.
“N30 billion was also budgeted or was to be paid for revitalization that also was paid late last year. N22.127 billion was agreed also in that December agreement, to be paid from supplementary budget as Earned Allowances for 2021 that money was also paid last year; it was put in the supplementary budget which was passed around June-July and the money was remitted. So, the government has done that.”
Ngige added that the controversial issue of introducing the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) payment platform as preferred by university lecturers instead of government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), is being looked at.
A meeting between government and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities
He said UTAS, which the universities developed has been subjected to test by the body responsible for that, Nigeria Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), which ran a user acceptance test also called integrity and vulnerability test, but in their report, they pointed out to ASUU, the areas of lapses in that platform, which will not make it usable as presently configured.
However ASUU has written back to NITDA to say that some of those observations were not correct.
Dr Ngige said arrangements have now been concluded for the technical teams of NITDA and ASUU to meet and jointly conduct or repeat the test on the UTAS platform, so as to find a solution to the impasse.
University lecturers in Nigeria have been on a warning strike since February 14, to press home their demands, one of which is for government to accept UTAS as the platform for payment of their salaries but the government prefers to use the IPPIS platform, currently being used for the payment of salaries of all public workers.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the enrolment of an additional one million pupils into its National Home Growth School Feeding Programme NHGSFP across the country.
The country’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar – Farouq, revealed this at an event organised to commemorate this year’s 7th edition of Africa Day of School Feeding held in Abuja Nigeria’s capital.
The theme for this year’s edition is titled: “Nutrition and Human Capital Development in Africa through Increased Investment in Home Grown School Feeding”.
The Minister said currently, the total number of children enrolled on the NHGSFP stood at 8,881,773.
She noted that out of the number enrolled, 4.1 million pupils have so far been verified and captured on the NHGSFP database, in line with the Ministry’s ongoing efforts at establishing a verifiable database of beneficiaries across all of its programmes and interventions.
Umar-Farouq further hinted that President Muhammadu Buhari has granted the approval for the upward review of the daily cost of school children feeding from 70 to 100 naira per meal per child which comes along with increased monitoring and tighter regulations.
The Minister said that globally, school feeding programmes are recognized as an essential part of social safety nets deployed to address both malnutrition and poverty amongst low-income households.
She added that the programme is conceived as a multi-sectoral intervention, with substantial gains expected in educational, health and socioeconomic outcomes.
She revealed that the ministry has also forged viable working partnership with relevant food and nutrition association and agencies such as the Nutrition Society of Nigeria and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC, to provide the required regulatory oversight and also monitor compliance on hygiene, food safety, and meals quality standards.
Umar – Farouq said the ministry is also working closely with World Food Programme (WAP), which is providing technical support, capacity building and policy guidance in the implementation of the NHGSFP.
The Minister said other verifiable outcomes of the programme include, boosting of the local economies and facilitating job creation through the activities of cooks, smallholder farmers, transporters and numerous aggregators engaged nationwide.
Umar-Farouq said as part of government’s efforts to cushion the effects of the pandemic in 2020, the Ministry provided dry take home rations to targeted households of pupils on the program in Lagos, Ogun and the FCT.
She also disclosed that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development is already fulfilling its commitments to the NHGSFP as provided in the World Food Programme Global School Meals Coalition, which is a call to responsive Governments to do more to reach more children with nutritious meals.
National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Gloria Akobundu
Meanwhile, the national coordinator AUDA NEPAD Nigeria, Princess Gloria Akobundu says a lot of countries have indicated interest to come in for peer learning.
She added that with stronger collaboration and team work of all the stakeholders involved, meaningful impact will be made on the lives of the children.
Akobundu further said NEPAD Nigeria and NEPAD Continental have resolved to work as a team to enhance the project so that African children will be the leaders they ought to be tomorrow.
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, U.S, March 1, 2022. Saul Loeb/Pool via REUTERS
U.S. President Joe Biden assailed Russian President Vladimir Putin, barred Russian flights from American airspace and led Democratic and Republican lawmakers in a rare display of unity on Tuesday in a State of the Union speech dominated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Let each of us if you’re able to stand, stand and send an unmistakable signal to Ukraine and to the world,” Biden urged Democrats and Republicans
Lawmakers who are deeply divided over taxes, voting rights and gun safety stood together to applaud Ukraine, many waving Ukrainian flags and cheering in the chamber of the House of Representatives. Several women members of Congress wore the flag’s colors of yellow and blue.
In a deviation from his prepared remarks, Biden said of Putin: “He has no idea what’s coming.”
Biden was looking to reset his presidency after a first year in office marked by rapid economic growth and trillions of dollars in new programs, but beset by the highest inflation in 40 years.
The annual speech to Congress gave Biden a platform to highlight his agenda, reassure fretful Americans and seek to boost his sluggish poll numbers amid dire warnings his fellow Democrats could face losses in November congressional elections.
“The State of the Union is strong — because you, the American people, are strong,” Biden said. “We are stronger today than we were a year ago.”
For the first time in months, members of Congress were not required to wear masks in the chambers to guard against the pandemic, a sight that could provide helpful optics for the president.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has tested Biden’s ability to respond rapidly to events without sending American forces into battle, and lead the West’s response to the most tense period in relations with Russia since the Cold War ended 30 years ago.
The United States and its allies have launched withering sanctions against Russia’s economy and financial system, Putin himself and his inner circle of oligarchs. Biden announced the United States will join other nations in banning Russian flights from American airspace.
The crisis forced Biden, whose chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan last year drew wide criticism, to reshape the speech to focus on uniting Americans around a global effort to punish Moscow and support Kyiv.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
WASHINGTON, March 1 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden assailed Russian President Vladimir Putin, barred Russian flights from American airspace and led Democratic and Republican lawmakers in a rare display of unity on Tuesday in a State of the Union speech dominated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Let each of us if you’re able to stand, stand and send an unmistakable signal to Ukraine and to the world,” Biden urged Democrats and Republicans
Lawmakers who are deeply divided over taxes, voting rights and gun safety stood together to applaud Ukraine, many waving Ukrainian flags and cheering in the chamber of the House of Representatives. Several women members of Congress wore the flag’s colors of yellow and blue.
In a deviation from his prepared remarks, Biden said of Putin: “He has no idea what’s coming.”
Biden was looking to reset his presidency after a first year in office marked by rapid economic growth and trillions of dollars in new programs, but beset by the highest inflation in 40 years and a lingering coronavirus pandemic.
The annual speech to Congress gave Biden a platform to highlight his agenda, reassure fretful Americans and seek to boost his sluggish poll numbers amid dire warnings his fellow Democrats could face losses in November congressional elections.
The ovation joined by both parties marked a return to tradition for Washington. Two years ago, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was so disgusted with then-President Donald Trump’s claims to be protecting healthcare insurance in his speech that she ripped her copy into pieces behind his back.
“The State of the Union is strong — because you, the American people, are strong,” Biden said. “We are stronger today than we were a year ago.”
For the first time in months, members of Congress were not required to wear masks in the chambers to guard against the pandemic, a sight that could provide helpful optics for the president.
A CNN snap poll of speech watchers showed 41% reacting very positively, 29% somewhat positively and 29% negatively.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has tested Biden’s ability to respond rapidly to events without sending American forces into battle, and lead the West’s response to the most tense period in relations with Russia since the Cold War ended 30 years ago.
The United States and its allies have launched withering sanctions against Russia’s economy and financial system, Putin himself and his inner circle of oligarchs. Biden announced the United States will join other nations in banning Russian flights from American airspace. read more
The crisis forced Biden, whose chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan last year drew wide criticism, to reshape the speech to focus on uniting Americans around a global effort to punish Moscow and support Kyiv.
TAKING AIM AT PUTIN
He took aim at Putin, saying the Kremlin leader had badly miscalculated how events would unfold and that now “Russia’s economy is reeling and Putin alone is to blame.”
“He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead he met a wall of strength he never imagined. He met the Ukrainian people,” he said. “From President Zelenskiy to every Ukrainian, their fearlessness, their courage, their determination, inspires the world.”
In a show of support for Ukraine, first lady Jill Biden had as her guest at the speech the Ukraine ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, who traveled in the Biden motorcade from the White House to Capitol Hill.
Biden is battling rising inflation exacerbated by the Russian crisis and has been assailed by Republicans who accused him of allowing it to get out of control. He called for companies to make more cars and semiconductors in the United States so Americans would be less reliant on imports.
The evening was not without its partisan moments. Two far-right Republican lawmakers, Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene, shouted “build the wall” to show their displeasure with Biden’s immigration policy. “Sit down,” shouted a Democratic lawmaker in response.
Biden himself offered some criticism of progressive policies in his party critical of police killings of Black men, saying: “The answer is not to defund the police. It’s to fund the police. Fund them. Fund them. Fund them with resources and training…to protect the community.”
Meanwhile, Joe Manchin, the West Virginia Democrat responsible for blocking Biden’s Build Back Better spending plan, spent the entire speech seated with Republicans on their side of the chamber.
Biden had some progress to tout: The economy grew faster than it has since 1984 with 6.6 million jobs created, the government distributed hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccines, and he has nominated the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Biden and his fellow Democrats face the prospect of losing control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate in Nov. 8 midterm elections. An uptick in Biden’s approval ratings might help prevent that and strengthen his chances of making good on his agenda.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday Russia must stop bombing Ukrainian cities before meaningful talks on a ceasefire could start, as a first round of negotiations this week had yielded scant progress.
Speaking in an interview in a heavily guarded government compound, Zelenskiy urged NATO members to impose a no fly zone to stop the Russian air force, saying this would be a preventative measure and not meant to drag the alliance into war with Russia.
Zelenskiy, who has refused offers to leave the Ukrainian capital as Russian forces advanced, also said Ukraine would demand legally binding security guarantees if NATO shut the door on Ukraine’s membership prospects.
Just as he was speaking, news emerged that a Russian missile had struck a TV tower near a Holocaust memorial site in the Ukrainian capital, killing at least five people. Earlier on Tuesday, missiles struck the heart of the eastern city of Kharkiv.
Ukraine has received weapons shipments from NATO members to help withstand a full-scale military invasion unleashed by Russian forces last week, while the West has also introduced swinging sanctions on the Russian economy.
Thousands of refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have arrived in Budapest after abandoning their homes fearing for their lives as they seek safety elsewhere.
Around 4,000 refugees, including more than 300 children, arrived by train in Budapest on Monday, according to police, and hundreds were provided with emergency accommodation in the city.
Relief groups have set up stalls with food, water and other aid supplies in train stations in Budapest, said Marton Juhasz, head of the Hungarian Reformed Church’s charity.
Around 4,000 refugees, including more than 300 children, arrived by train in Budapest on Monday, police said
Since Russia invaded Ukraine last week, volunteers have rushed to the aid of refugees entering Hungary, which in past years has restricted asylum seekers’ access under nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
More than 660,000 people have already left Ukraine and an estimated one million are displaced within the country, the UN refugee agency says.
The United Nations estimated on Monday that some 90,000 people from Ukraine had arrived in EU member Hungary since last week.
Mozambique’s publicly-owned Electricity Company (EDM) has signed a new contract to supply power to the Kingdom of Eswatini.
The contract will last for 17 months and provides for EDM to supply 20 megawatts of power, which could be revised depending on the needs of Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC).
“The bilateral relationship between EDM and EEC is over a decade old, with Mozambique and South Africa being the main suppliers of energy that kingdom imports to meet over 70% of its domestic consumption needs,” a statement from EDM said.
The meeting at which the agreement was signed also served to analyse future projects between the two companies, particularly the Temane Thermal Power Plant being built in southern Mozambique.
In December, Globeleq company, the main shareholder of the Temane Thermal Power Plant, announced it had secured full funding for the project, worth $652m (£485m) and expected to start producing electricity in 2024.
The Tamarind Falls, also known as Tamarin Falls, are very scenic and impressive waterfalls that are located in the southwestern part of the island nation of the Republic of Mauritius.
Located on the Rivière Tamarin river in the vicinity of the village of Henrietta, there are seven series of cataracts which are certainly one of the biggest highlights of Mauritius.
The main waterfall of the Tamarind Falls has a total height of 293 meters (961 feet) making it one of the highest ones on the island, nevertheless, it is surrounded by very rich and lush flora.
As the area is one of the most beautiful and calmest places on the island, it is too one of the best places for nature and animals lovers, where one can find many exotic plants and birds.
Getting to the waterfalls is a little bit tricky as it takes almost a day to hike to the pristine natural wonder, and as the trail goes through the forest, it goes also through an open area on the basalt rock which is a clear sign that every hiker is in the vicinity of Tamarind.
Once there, every visitor can enjoy in the well-deserved rest and take a dip in the basin, or continue onward in order to reach the top.
As there are a series of small pools, nonetheless, at the seventh waterfall, better known as the top of Tamarind Falls, there is a superb view over the lushly green canyon which surrounds the area.
That is how every visitor will be able to witness the extravagance of the stashed plateaus with water reaching each one of them.
A definite paradise that is worth hiking to, since there is no person in this world who visited the Tamarind Falls and did not enjoy in the magnificent treasure the island is offering everyone.
The Maharashtra state Minister Amit Deshmukh said on Tuesday that government has taken note of fee structures for medical education in Ukraine and Russia and officials have been instructed to see if such facilities can be given to students in the state.
The state medical education minister said the state government will study the reasons for students travelling abroad for education.
“The government has taken a note of the fees for medical education in Russia and Ukraine. We shall study the reasons that why these students are going abroad,” Deshmukh said.
Some work needs to be done to ensure that students planning to go abroad can get those facilities here, he said, adding that the Centre and state governments can work on this together.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
