India has suspended visa services for Canadian citizens, the country’s visa service provider, BLS International, said on Thursday on its website.
The company cited a notice from the Indian mission.
The announcement came amid a diplomatic tussle between the two countries, where Ottawa accused New Delhi of involvement in the killing of a Sikh leader in Canada.
President Bola Tinubu will next week unveil wage awards to cushion the effects of removal of subsidy of petrol on workers. The labour movement, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, had repeatedly clamoured for payment of wage award to assuage the impact of the subsidy removal on workers, before negotiation on new minimum wage next year.
The President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Festus Osifo, disclosed this in an interview on ChannelsTelevision’s “Politics Today” programme on Tuesday night. TUC had given the federal government a two-week ultimatum to address its demands or risk industrial action from workers across the country.
Osifo noted that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, told TUC he had met with President Tinubu and the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, on the matter.
Osifo said Lalong told the union that the issue of wage had been reviewed, adding that President Tinubu would speak on the matter in the coming days. “The minister of labour told us that he had an audience with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the minister of finance and had reviewed the issue of wage award but that the president asked them to fine-tune the issues before he makes the announcement.
“The minister told us all these issues would be streamlined but because the president has travelled, we should give him an extra two weeks. We said no; we don’t have an extra two weeks to give. After more discussions, he said the president would make a proper announcement next week.”
Osifo said the union had engaged the federal government on the palliatives released to states, adding that “we are going to monitor distribution of palliatives in states to make sure the scheme is implemented appropriately.
”We want to see the template of the implementation which is why we engaged the federal government on this issue. We also raised issues around taxation and CNG (Compressed Natural Gas).”
On NLC two-week warning strike, Osifo said the union did not back out of it, saying it didn’t agree to participate in the first place.
Gov. Abba Yusuf of Kano State has rejected the ruling of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that voided his election and declared his opponent the winner.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tribunal on Wednesday declared Dr Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress as the rightful winner of the March 18 governorship election.
Yusuf, who contested on the banner of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), described the tribunal’s verdict as “unfair” and “a miscarriage of justice”.
“I call on our people to remain calm. We will appeal the judgement and we are sure justice will be done.
“Let our people be reassured that we will do everything possible to retain this widely acclaimed mandate”, he added.
President Bola Tinubu has encouraged Nigerians in the U.S. to rise above failure by having a change of mindset for success in all their endeavours in life. Tinubu gave the advice at the Presidential Townhall Meeting with Nigerians in the diaspora on Wednesday in New York. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Townhall Meeting was organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.
“I want to give you a measure that will resonate with you. I was once a diaspora. What you have been through, I have been through it. Change of mind set is necessary. “Take it this night that Nigeria is home for business opportunities. “Also, anywhere you stay, there is always going to be an opportunity in, and in everything you do, there is always going to be an opportunity, if you know how to search and put your mind into it,’’ he said.
The president, however, expressed delight in the conduct of Nigerians who have continued to excel in their chosen fields in their host country. “You are lucky to be among those who are celebrated for good manners and behavior and are operating in an acceptable manner.
“I’m very proud of you; I have also been beneficial of inspiration, determination, commitment and perseverance and that is all you need to get to pull through. “But, we need you back home, Nigeria has arrived; forget the frustration of the previous year’s leadership,’’ he said.
Tinubu, who commended the efforts on out-of-school children, the healthcare programme and the need to eradicate poverty, said Nigeria was a blessed country.
The leadership of the Owners of Private Schools Association of Nigeria has called on the Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo to review the outrageous taxes and levies demanded by various government agencies from private school proprietors in the state.
The association said the state government viewed school proprietors as business ventures and as a result, has been giving them exorbitant taxes and levies while exonerating the public schools.
The National President, OPSAN, Prof. Uzochukwu Nwanonyuo, stated this in Onitsha during the transition and inauguration of the body’s new state executive led by Sir Earnest Iwuamadi.
Nwanonyuo called on Soludo to urgently intervene and bail the private schools from the challenges of multiple taxes, illegal levies and other unwarranted payments.
He said the association is hoping that over time the issue that boils down to multiple taxes will be addressed, that has been our major challenge.
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The union said another challenge is the encroachment and harassment currently witnessed by the supposed group called ‘Anambra State Joint Enforcement Unit’.
They said the state government needs to make the regulatory unit understand that schools are not similar to commercial environments.
The newly inaugurated president of the body’s Anambra chapter, Earnest Iwuamadi, on his part, decried the marginalisation of private schools in several areas.
Iwuamadi lamented that the state government exempted public schools and government-mission schools from multiple levies and taxes.
He also criticised the government for showing favouritism towards public schools when providing assistance or making appointments.
Iwuamadi pointed out that this approach overlooks the fact that every government-approved school is co-owned by the government.
He assured that he would ensure that all OPSAN member schools yet to secure government approval were assisted to be approved within the shortest possible time.
A member of the Board of Trustees of the association, Mary Obiokoye, pleaded with the Anambra State government to consider giving more political appointments to proprietors from the private schools sector.
Obiokoye called on the government to include at least two or three OPSAN members in this administration and Incorporate the union into school boards, commissioners or Directors,
Efforts to get the reaction of the state government through the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, proved abortive as calls and enquiries sent to her phone in that regard, were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.
Students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Osun State has demanded the Federal Government’s reversal of their tuition fee hike.
The President and General Secretary of the institution’s Students’ Union, Abbas Ojo and Akinboni Sunday, made this demand in a statement.
Management of the varsity announced adjustments to the fees that students of the institution will be required to pay for the upcoming academic session.
They said Education is the cornerstone of development and progress for any nation. So, it’s sad that in a country as great as ours, education is becoming a choice only the rich can make.
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The union earlier demanded that the school management make it a duty to reverse the increment in school fees and “all financial institutions, remita, especially ignore and suspend any payment from OAU pending the time the union will write to them; otherwise, their branches in Ife and OAU campus will be shut down.
”We’ve also written to all respective banks to halt the acceptance of fee payments from any student until a better resolution has been achieved. As much as we don’t want to, we are currently running out of options and might have to shut down all activities on campus and progressively on all campuses throughout the country if the school authorities remain silent on the issue,” the union added.
It called on the federal government to take decisive action by providing viable solutions to tackle the increment by increasing the budget allocation for education and ensures that schools are well-equipped, staffed and capable of providing quality education.
“Implement policies that address the barriers to education, such as ensuring accessibility to schools for students by guiding against arbitrary increment. Enhance investment in lecturer training and professional development programs to improve the quality of instruction. Establish scholarship and financial aid programs to alleviate the burden on students and families,” the union added.
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) says Nigeria currently needs an additional 20,000 schools and 907,769 classrooms to be able to absorb the over 10.5 million out-of-school children in the country.
Executive Secretary of UBEC, Hammid Bobboyi, made this known while briefing the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman on the activities of the Commission.
Director, Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Bem Goong made this known in a statement available to journalists in Abuja.
He quoted Bobboyi as noting that infrastructural gaps and inadequate manpower as some of the challenges facing the Commission in its efforts towards ensuring equitable access to quality basic Education.
Earlier in his briefing, UBEC Executive Secretary, Bobboyi told the Ministers that the country needs additional 20, 000 schools and 907, 769 classrooms to absorb the growing number of out-of-school children.
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The Minister of Education, Mamman, however, reaffirmed the commitment of the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritize basic Education in the country.
He noted that President Tinubu has directed the return of the 10.5 million out-of-school children to school at the expiration of his tenure.
Mamman emphasized that the foundation level is the most critical segment in the education sub-sector which must be properly developed in order to impact positively on other tiers of the sector and overall national development.
While receiving briefings from the Executive Secretary UBEC, Dr. Bobboyi called on all the States of the federation to show more outstanding commitment towards providing counterpart funding to accelerate the development of basic education in the country.
He added that the government of Tinubu would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that every Nigerian child is brought on board the ship of education.
He noted that the forthcoming National Census will pay paid to the controversies surrounding the actual figures of out-of-school children.
Speaking in the same vein, Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Tanko Sununu said all hands must be on deck to ensure that Nigerian children get the desired education to prepare them for the future.
Sununu directed the UBEC Chief Executive to take the struggle for counterpart funding to the doorstep of State Governors, explaining that an uneducated child is a clear danger to himself and society at large.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Hammid Bobboyi revealed that the Commission with the support of other critical stakeholders, has developed a national Framework of Action designed to address the out-of-school children phenomenon in Nigeria.
Speaking at the regional stakeholders’ engagement on the National Framework of Action to tackle OOSC menace, Bobboyi urged the state governments and other stakeholders to be focused on the implementation of the National Framework of Action in order to address the challenge.
He noted that the alarming number of OOSC has given the country a negative reference to educational development strides and aspirations on the global scene.
A United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, has granted the request filed by the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, seeking the release of President Bola Tinubu’s academic records by the Chicago State University.
Judge Jeffrey Gilbert, a US magistrate, gave the ruling, ordering CSU to produce all relevant and non-privileged documents to Abubakar Atiku, the plaintiff, within two days from Tuesday
The judge ruled that the matter is before the Court on Atiku Abubakar’s Application Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1782 for an Order Directing Discovery from Chicago State University for Use in a Foreign Proceeding (“Application”) [ECF No. 1] and for several reasons discussed below, the Application is granted.
The English Scholars’ Association of Nigeria says language, literary studies, and communication will foster and uphold peace and security in Nigeria.
While giving a keynote address at the 38th Annual ESAN Conference, Vice-Chancellor Ahman Pategi University, Kwara State, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, emphasised that his paper interrogated the significance of language, literature, and communication, saying it situated their relevance in the context of promoting peace, security, and development in the world, with Nigeria being its microcosm.
The four-day conference, held at the Lagos State University, Ojo and titled, ‘Language and communication studies for peace, (In) security and development in Nigeria,’ highlighted the crucial role of language, literature, and communication in addressing societal needs.
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Adedimeji said government and policymakers should encourage language education across all states to enable citizens to become skilled and critical communicators since the proper use of language engenders peace and security.
He also said policymakers and citizens should be encouraged to embrace literary works so that they can be exposed to a variety of cultural norms and values of different ethnic groups in Nigeria which should be respected and defended.
Head, Department of English, LASU, Prof. Pius Akhimen, acknowledged the significance of the conference’s theme in addressing contemporary realities.
He encouraged all participants to actively engage with the speakers and make the most of the conference’s insightful discussions and presentations.
The National President of ESAN, Prof. Tajudeen Surakat reiterated the role of language in shaping human activities and consciousness.
He called for government leadership, cooperation from the governed and the eradication of divisions based on religion, ethnicity, gender and age.
Borno Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum has approved the appointment of Bukar Abubakar as the new rector of Ramat Polytechnic with effect from 25th September 2023.
The appointment was announced in a statement issued by the Governor’s spokesman, Isa Gusau.
Until his appointment as rector, Abubakar was deputy rector in charge of administration at the same polytechnic from the year 2020.
The incoming rector holds an engineering PhD in Energy and Environmental Studies obtained in 2021, Masters in Engineering also on Energy and Environmental Studies in 2014, and Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering obtained in 2005. All the degrees were from the University of Maiduguri.
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He attended Government Technical College, Bama, where he graduated in 1990 having attended Federal Craft Certificate Examination “equivalent of City and Guild of London Institute” training.
The new rector has attended local and international courses on “Onshore-Offshore Contractors/Employee Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment Competence”, “Sustainable Manpower Development and Effective Administration in Tertiary Institution”, “Mechatronics/Autotronics”, “Information Technology Essentials” and on “Research for Sustainable Development: Strategies and Procedures for Developing Nations”.
At Ramat Polytechnic, he worked as departmental record officer in 2007. He was also the departmental examination officer from 2008 to 2010 and from 2011 to 2014.
The new rector was head of the Department, mechanical Engineering Technology, from 2014 to 2019, acting director, school of Engineering in 2016, principal lecturer from 2018 to 2021, deputy rector (admin, from 2020), and chairman, staff development committee from 2020 to date and chief lecturer from 2022 to date.
The rector is a member of the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, Nigeria Association of Vocational and Technical Educators, International Association of Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Governor Zulum congratulates the new rector and conveys gratitude to the outgoing rector for his services to the state, Gusau said in the statement.
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