Metro

Tinubu Urged To Release ASUU’s Withheld Salaries

Published

11 months ago

June 6, 2023

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been urged to release the eight months’ salary arrears of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) withheld by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

In 2022, the ASUU embarked on an eight-month strike over the non-implementation of their demands by the federal government.

At the time, the government had threatened to invoke the ‘no work, no pay’ policy on the striking lecturers.

After the strike was called off, the then Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, had said the government was not going to pay anyone for work not done.

In an interview with journalists in Abuja yesterday, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and former federal lawmaker, Professor Haruna Yerima, said the settlement of the eight-month arrears would create a mutual and understanding between the university union and the president.

Yerima, who teaches at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, urged Tinubu to leverage on the last week judgment delivered by the president of the National Industrial Court, Justice Benedict Kanyip, that it is within the right of the federal government to withhold the salaries of workers who embark on industrial action.

He said the court, however, held that it is a violation of university autonomy for the federal government to impose the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) platform on members of ASUU who reserve the right to determine how their salaries should be paid.

He said, “Looking at the NIC judgement it is clear that President Tinubu can intervene, release the withheld salaries of ASUU members, to foster a harmonious relationship between his administration and the union,” he said.

“President Bola Tinubu should be magnanimous enough to pay the eight months withheld salaries of ASUU members. This will go a long way in nipping in the bud the circumstances and trajectories that snowballed into the 2022 industrial action by the union.”

Metro

Ex-Sports Minister laments after hospital neglected him for hours over N80000 deposit

Published

3 days ago

May 11, 2024

Ifunaya Emeka

A former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has recounted how a hospital in Plateau State did not attend to him because of the non-payment of the admission deposit.

Dalung said he fell ill on Wednesday, May 8, and went to the unnamed hospital for treatment but that the hospital refused to give him treatment because he had yet to make an admission deposit despite holding his medical records. The former minister said he regained partial consciousness later and transferred the deposit before he was attended to.

“I took ill on Wednesday, arrived at the hospital & shortly became unconscious after doctor’s interviews. Was ferried into emergency ward but abandoned for over 4 hrs due to non payments of admission deposits. Regained partial consciousness later did the transfer of deposit.

After that, I fell into unconsciousness again for about 7 hours. To God be the glory, I have been discharged after 3 days & recovering. Were it not for partial consciousness to pay the deposits, I would have been Mr. late. Many Nigerians have gone this way. Where is our humanity?

I was then admitted into the ward and given medical attention. This is the hospital that has my medical records. The last medical checkup I did about 2 months ago was there, but suddenly, I became a stranger because of non payments of deposits even with the so-called name. Hmmmm”

Metro

Osun Poly Student, Olanrewaju Olatona killed by hit-and-run one-way driver

Published

4 weeks ago

April 18, 2024

Ifunaya Emeka

A Student Of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Osun State, has died after being hit by a trailer driver on Monday, April 15.

The Accident was said to have occurred when the driver, who was reportedly driving against traffic, collided with the motorcycle conveying a student named Olanrewaju Olatona and another passenger along the Ikirun-Osogbo road area of the state.

Due to the severe impact, Olanrewaju Olatona, a National Diploma 2 student, suffered fatal injuries. He died at the scene.

Olatona, who was the Financial Secretary of the Department of Mass Communication, was preparing for the one-year Industrial Training programme.

The driver fled the scene after the accident and has not been apprehended.

Subsequently, Osun State Polytechnic students organised a procession in front of the school gate and blocked the expressway for several hours.