Kalu hails Buhari's appointment of Obioma as NECO Registrar

The Spokesperson of Nigeria's House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has described President Muhammadu Buhari's appointment of Prof. Godswill Obioma as Registrar of the National Examinations Council, NECO, as the right fit for the exam body.

While expressing support to Buhari over the appointment, Kalu noted, in a statement, that the job came at a time NECO was confronting several challenges trying to undermine its operations such as regaining its integrity, solving infrastructural and technological deficits among others.

The lawmaker expressed confidence that Obioma's breadth of experience, wealth of academic achievements, as well as far-reaching contributions to education policy reforms at national and global levels immediately distinguished him as the right fit for the job, a square peg in a square hole.

According to him, haven worked as a key player in several government committees and panels on education development in the country, Obioma has contributed immensely in formulating education policies in Nigeria in the last two decades with a record of achievements too vast to enumerate.

He disclosed that he had been privileged to preview the registrars proposed 11-point roadmap for NECO which showed a determination to reignite hope in inclusive and quality education for Nigerian children. 

"A distinguished product of Abia State, Prof. Obioma has spearheaded a number of policy reforms and institutional changes in Nigeria's educational curriculum including; the 9-year Basic Education Curriculum, the Senior Secondary Education Curriculum, the 34 Senior Secondary Entrepreneur/Trade subjects, the 2014 Edition of the National Policy on Education, among others. He has served as the Chairman of Nigeria Education Roadmap of the Federal Ministry of Education and Executive Secretary, Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council. 

"Internationally, he has consulted for UNESCO, UNDP, WORLD BANK, DFID and UNICEF, having served in various delegate and leadership roles including President of UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE); Member, International Experts Meeting on Key Curricular and Learning Issues in the Post 2015 Education and Development Agenda held in Geneva; and Member Nigerian Delegation to the adoption of the SDG in Education in 2014 in Nakoya Japan," he said.

Kalu further noted that despite several challenges already confronting NECO, adaptation to a COVID-19 and post COVID-19 era will be the single greatest challenge of the Council in a world that has been forced to reimagine its way of life. 

“Following the fourth UNESCO COVID-19 Education Webinar, organized on April 9, 2020 to examine the coping strategies currently considered by various countries to manage high-stake exams, it has become clear to me that unique home grown solutions are required for the peculiarities of our own challenges.

“After all, as UNESCOs Head of Education Research and Foresight, Mr. Sobhi Tawil, putit, we have been imposed, globally, an experiment in remote learning. We are all managing different ways that we can. 

“NECOs leadership must figure out exam delivery modes that are complaint with new public health standards and technological realities while remaining inclusive and accessible to the millions of Nigerian children in rural areas.

“This responsibility is an intricate dance which will require the innovativeness and insight of a leadership possessing extensive local and international experience. Prof. Obiomas breadth of experience, his wealth of academic achievements, as well as his far-reaching contributions to education policy reforms in national and global contexts immediately distinguish him as the right fit for the job- the square peg in a square hole," he said.

IPPIS: NASU To Begin Strike After Coronavirus Lockdown is Lifted, to join 2 month old ASUU Action

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) is set to begin strike action in federal universities, polytechnics and Colleges of Education the day they resume schools.

The General Secretary of NASU, Peters Adeyemi said in Abuja yesterday that the non-teaching staff union is protesting short-payment of its members’ salaries since February 2020. 

 

The association has filed the Trade Dispute Act CAP 432, Trade Disputes (Essential Services) Act, CAP 433 of the of the law of the federation of Nigeria 1990 and Trade disputes (Amendment) Decree No 47 of 1992 otherwise called Form TD/3. 

 

The General Secretary of the union, Peters Adeyemi duly filed official complaints against the Accountant General of the Federation. 

 

In its filled form TD/3, titled ‘notification of trade dispute, inter and intra – union disputes by employers/workers organization, etc., NASU raised issues in dispute to include non-payment of salaries to some staff, short payment salaries to some staff, failure to pay approved allowances as contained in the FGN/NASU year 2009 agreement, non-deduction of check-off dues, and non-deduction of cooperative and other deductions of its members in the federal universities and inter-university centres, federal polytechnics and federal Colleges of Education. 

 

NASU also stated in the petition that various steps aimed at resolving the crisis have failed. 

 

It itemized the steps taken so far to include meeting of NASU leadership with the Director, IPPIS on 21st January 2020 and another meeting of NASU leadership with the same director on the 4th of February 2020, which did not yield desired result.

 

In a letter to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, declaring a trade dispute, Adeyemi, said despite the assurances given by Ngige, the crisis has continued to linger. 

 

He said: “Regrettably, despite your assurances via a telephone discussion sometimes in early April, 2020, the officials of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) have refused to effect appropriate corrections of all the anomalies observed by NASU members in the Federal Universities and Intra-University Centres, Federal Polytechnics and Federal Colleges of Education up to this current moment, i.e salaries paid to our members in February, March and April, 2020.”

 

Adeyemi further highlighted that NASU’s complaints as contained in its letter dated 7thApril 2020, fell on deaf ears as none of it was addressed in the March salaries. 

 

NASU accused IPPIS of deceiving it into accepting the payment platform saying its peculiarities are still not embedded into the payment system which results in short payment.

 

“It is unfortunate that IPPIS has only betrayed the leadership of NASU by deceiving us into accepting that the IPPIS platform will take on board all the peculiarities affecting our members and that there will be no problem if we key into the platform. Now we know better. IPPIS promise of doing a three-month experiment has come our very disastrously and we are unable to allow this defective and deficient process to continue,” it said. 

 

NASU subsequently gave notice of strike action, saying that having fulfilled all the statutory requirements, it placed all its members in the Federal Universities and Intra-University Centres, Federal Polytechnics and Federal Colleges of Education on a 14-day warning strike effective the date of the resumption of work in all the mentioned institutions. 

 

It added that thereafter, an indefinite strike will follow if positive action is not taken to remedy the situation.

 

Conveying the strike notice to its members during the weekend through a letter with reference number NASU/CD/307/209, NASU told its members that the 14-day warning strike would be used to protest the refusal of IPPIS to react positively to issues that affect the correct payment of its members’ salaries and other errors identified which have been placed before the IPPIS for correction.

BREAKING: Buhari to address the Nation on Monday, May 18

President Muhammadu Buhari will address the nation in a broadcast on Monday following the end of the first phase of the gradual easing of the COVID-19 lockdown.

Aliyu Sani, the national coordinator of the presidential task force on COVID-19, made this disclosure when he appeared on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

According to him, the president is to decide on whether or not the country should go ahead with the second phase of the easing of the lockdown.

RIVERS STATE GOVERNOR, NYESOM WIKE LOSSES MEDIA AIDE.

Press statement from Rivers State information commissioner, below;

GOVERNOR WIKE CONDOLES LATE NWAKAUDU'S FAMILY 

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has expressed shock over the sudden death of his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu.

He described late Nwakaudu as a loyal and dedicated professional who contributed immensely to the implementation of the The NEW Rivers Vision.

The governor on behalf of his family, the government and good people of the State condoled with the bereaved family.

He prayed God to grant them the fortitude to bear the great loss.

Late Nwakaudu died today at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) after a brief illness. 

Paulinus Nsirim 

Commissioner for Information and Communications 

May 17,2020

FCT Health workers may shut down COVID-19 treatment centres by april 28 over strike

Efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19 and to adequately manage patients in treatment centers in the Federal Capital Territory may suffer a set back as health workers issue a 21-day strike notice over irregularity in salary payment since January this year.

In a statement issued by the FCT Chairperson of the Joint Health Sector Unions and the Assembly of Healthcare Professionals, Deborah Yusuf said other issues include non-payment of accrued allowances of 2016, 2017 and 2018 and short payment of January, February and March salaries of 2019.

The statement said if not for the outbreak of the new Coronavirus, it would have proceeded on strike since March 18, 2020

JOHESU threatens to shutdown all Covid-19 isolation and treatment centres, stop the ongoing testing and related services from May 28 should the FCT Administration remain adamant in attending to their demands.

(Editor: Terverr Tyav)

SOURCE: AITNEWS

JAMB Remits N7Billion to Nigerian Government

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB) has made an interim remittance of N3.5b to the Federal Government consolidated account for the 2020 expected remittance

A statement by head of information, Fabian Benjamin said JAMB  had earlier made the payment of over N3.5billion to candidates by way of reduction of N1,500 from the cost of each ePIN sold to candidates as graciously directed by President Buhari

Which JAMB said brought the total remittances this year to over N7b with the assurance to remit more as soon as it operations are concluded and proper audit of its books done.

The statement added that the remittances are in line with JAMB registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede's vowed commitment to remit wholly, excess funds generated from its operations to the federal government. 

 Since professor OLOYEDE ASUMED OFFICE AS REGISTRAR  JAMB has been returning money to the national treasury,  from over N7b in 2017.

CALL FOR TOTAL TRAVEL BAN ON GOVERNOR UMAHI, HIS CABINENT AND MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILIES*

PRESS RELEASE

The Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER) condemns the persecution of journalists by the Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi.

Only corrupt elements are afraid of journalists.

Section 22 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides as follows:

 _The press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this Chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people_ 

The only possible reason the governor of a state in Nigeria can be so morbidly afraid of journalists to the extent of making life difficult for them to practise journalism in his state, threatening to flog them with ‘koboko’ and barring them from the state government house for life, the way the Governor Umahi is reported to have done, is because he has many skeletons to hide in his cupboard. 

Therefore there is a presumption that the current administration in Ebonyi State is very corrupt because any government that doesn’t want to stand up to the scrutiny of the Press, is an irresponsible government that has chosen not to be accountable to the people, according to Section 22 of the Constitution.

The people of Ebonyi State should at this time be most pitied for them to have that sort of quality of a person as governor who, out of fear of the truth, wants to flog journalists with ‘koboko’ for carrying out their constitutional duties. 

Even the military, in its history of governance never contemplated such barbarity as an official policy. It can only therefore be imagined, the level of subjugation, that the citizens of that Ebonyi State are currently suffering silently, under the present administration in the state.

CASER is therefore calling on President Buhari and other state governors in Nigeria to also bar Governor Umahi and his cabinet members from travelling to the Abuja or any other state in Nigeria until they reverse this act of illegality that threatens civilized and peaceful means of holding governments across the world, accountable to the people.

Furthermore, CASER calls on all the Embassies, High Commissions and Foreign Missions in Nigeria to immediately begin to compile the names of the family members of Governor Umahi  and ensure that they are also issued travel ban for life, whenever again the world comes to normal. 

This action of the Ebonyi state government should not be forgotten quickly. It must remain as a permanent witness against Governor Umahi for life, unless he reverses himself this moment with full speed

CASER also calls on the Committee for the Protection of Journalist (CPJ), journalists everywhere, including the ones in Ebonyi state to help in the compilation of the names of the family members of these abusive government officials from Ebony State. They must be taught a serious lesson in reprisal in order to restrain them from continuing on this unprogressive path that is antithetical to democracy and inimical to the promotion of national and international peace and development.

This barbarous act by the Ebonyi State Government against journalists must be resisted locally and globally.

Frank Tietie

Executive Director

Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER)

Coronavirus: The media is also on the frontlines* by Eugenia Abu

For years as an active Broadcast Journalist, I hardly got time off and was on duty back to back as the news never ends. This state of things was daunting for my family and pretty stressful for me. While people took breaks at weekends, I would be on duty on a fine Sunday morning. 

The profession had chosen me and I had also chosen it. This kind of schedule that I had meant that during many Christmas holidays I was either on an editorial team at work or I was in fact producer of the leading NTA network news at nine or I was a newsreader or in some circumstances all of the above. And these were mostly during normal times. 

The stress would become heightened in difficult circumstances and one could remain in the newsroom for three days running if the situation was serious and would not even go home. It’s a tough field. The public wanted information and depended on you for it. Your job was not to disappoint them.

With the Coronavirus pandemic up in the air worldwide with no vaccine and no end in sight, the public is glued to their Televisions, newspapers and Radios to get authentic information about what in fact was going on. The media has become where everyone is swimming now to get their voices heard above the din of politics, fights, disagreements between world leaders and the frustration of health organisations worldwide.

 All of this in the face of grim stories of death and ailments. For the reporter and those gathered in the newsroom day in day out, it can be suffocating and overwhelming. Journalists are first of all human beings and in the face of overwhelming ceaseless bad news, they can suffer anxiety attacks and depression being so close to the stories and having to cover them. It is reported that many newsreaders and reporters who covered the 9/11 tragedy in the United States ended up with mental health challenges especially those who were directly involved in the coverage. So much research is out there to prove that indeed this is the case.

With Coronavirus spreading at such an unbelievable rate and being so contagious, media persons report other persons and have no one to talk about their own stress. In the middle of all of this, they must continue to bring you statistics, updates and coverages non-stop. As one who has walked their path and still does, I can speak for my colleagues worldwide and know that they are on the frontline and are committed to bringing the stories for as long as it takes. Together with health workers everywhere in the world, they are battling the virus as best as they can. While the health workers are working with patients in hospital and doing their very best everywhere, the journalist is bringing us the efforts of the health workers, breakthrough in science and general information and stories of hope.

Mid-march I spoke to my Editor, Amina Alhassan at the Trust newspapers and she was tired and already stressed out. Why are you sounding like that, I asked her? Work is overwhelming, she said. I know I told her. You need to breathe and take snatches of breaks whenever you can find one. No one knew how devastating this was going to be. And here we are.

With Coronavirus spreading at such an unbelievable rate and being so contagious, media persons report other persons and have no one to talk about their own stress. In the middle of all of this, they must continue to bring you statistics, updates and coverages non-stop

 An American Newsreader from MSNBC broke down when she announced the death of a colleague from Coronavirus. Rob Osbourne, a news correspondent from ITV writes that “This is a marathon, we are in it for the long haul.” BBC in the meantime says they will continue to provide support for their staff by providing structures to keep them covering the Pandemic for as long as they can.

That support is what employers need to provide across board across countries for media workers and journalists who have to continuously bring us the stories, the policies, the updates and the statistics. Media owners should protect their staff and insure them. They should also give palliatives, bonuses and provisions to make their jobs easier. Journalists must also learn to take breaks and breathe and structures must not keep the same person exposed to this information for long without giving them short breaks to allow them refuel. Journalists also have families and the work they do and their absence from home can affect their families and put them under pressure. Journalist are advised to speak to loved ones as often as they can, try to get enough sleep and eat healthy.

Let’s think about journalists and media persons on the frontline. They need our prayers and our support. They are also heroes in these uncertain times.

I salute all our health workers worldwide who are doing amazing work. But I would also like us to raise our hands up for another set of persons in the frontline. Without the media we would never have known of the world war veteran in the UK, 99-year-old Captain Tom Moore who has raised Millions of pounds for NHS charities to help with the treatment of Coronavirus in the United Kingdom

Salute to the Media and the workers therein worldwide. Cameramen, editors, reporters, editorial staff, writers, columnists, newsreaders and their management. 

Hands up for the Media! Our prayers are with you all.

EUGENIA ABU

109 Years old Mother of Nigeria's Minister Of Education, Hajiya Fatima Adamu Baaba Dies in Bauchi state

109 year old mother of Nigeria's minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu, Hajiya Fatima Adamu Baaba has died

The minister who confirmed the death of his mother in a statement signed by the director, press minister of Education, Ben Goong said she died in the early ours of friday

The statement said Burial has taken place at Azare, in Azare Local Government area of Bauchi state, in accordance with Muslim rights. 

Hajiya Fatima Adamu Baaba was aged 109 and survived by six children, three males and three females, including the minister of Education Adamu Adamu.

ABBA Kyari: ENDORSED AT DEATH...still the doubts linger. By Chukwudi Okolie-ugbaja, Abuja-based freelance Journalist

The publicity which Mallam Abba Kyari shunned while he was alive would seem to have been dished out to him at death by two political heavyweights....President Mohammadu Buhari and Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama. Buhari's tribute to Kyari remains one of the most intimate I have listened to for as long as I can remember. In Kyari, Buhari found a friend and a loyal cabinet member and made it clear that their acquaintance with each other dated back some 42 years. He would miss a man who had become his 'de facto' second-in-command. 

The Foreign Affairs Minister would later go on Channels TV to talk about a man who though a Muslim, was his best man at a Christian wedding he vividly recalled.

Their days at Warrick University were clearly a fond memory for a sober Onyeama who portrayed Kyari as self-effacing and clearly misunderstood by many. The Foreign Affairs Minister recalled how he was so moved by insinuations of underhand dealings by Kyari in the MTN fine saga that he approached his 'friend' of 43 years for an explanation.

Onyeama said Kyari denied any interest or gain in the matter and showed him documents to support his claims.

Put the accounts by Buhari and Onyeama about Kyari together and you'll end up scratching your head concerning  the ugly image a good chunk of the Nigerian public had reserved for the late Chief of Staff. 

As a communications teacher and student there are points that need to be made about the Kyari phenomenon.

The man was clearly an enigma who smiled only when it was absolutely necessary. He wielded power no doubt, but what pundits will ponder in future analyses is whether powerful Kyari was more powerful in his loyalty to President Mohammadu Buhari to the point of quietly taking bullets meant for the Nigerian leader or was merely living a life that shunned adulation and photo opportunity in pursuit of more meaningful national assignments.

Kyari did have a little public spat with a former Head of Service and the reported sack of a Kano state commissioner for 'celebrating' his death in a tweet was somewhat, eye-opening. The National  Security Adviser also reportedy kicked against Kyari's 'dabbling' in security matters.

But if the President had expressly told whoever wanted to see him to always go through Kyari, it followed that the late Chief of Staff had influence in virtually every sphere of the Nigerian life.

Kyari was taciturn, publicity-shy but coolly efficient.

If dead men do think, he might now be wondering whom all the posthumous rants and noise are for!

But then, he would remember that he lived in a country known for chasing shadows while substance jeered from the background.

Abba Kyari was silent in his lifetime. 

The silence from his grave can only be super and final!

Dead men don't bite but sometimes they leave behind arguments that taunt the mental processes of those who cling to life!

If you ask me, I think that the late Chief of Staff had quite a few things to explain in 'Nigeria And Me'.

But that would be a morbid publication.

Mortal eyes don't read from dead men!

So, maybe we should just let Abba Kyari go to his final sleep!

Chukwudi Okolie-Ugbaja is an Abuja-based freelancer.