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ASUU – Hold FG responsible for varsity shutdown

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities has asked Nigerians to hold the Federal Government responsible for the paralysis that will be experienced in Nigerian universities in few days to come.

ASUU Benin Zone gave the charge on Monday at a news conference held at Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, the Delta State capital.

Speaking on behalf of various ASUU Chairmen of the universities under the Benin zone, the Zonal Coordinator, Monday Igbafen, lamented that scholars are the most marginalised in Nigeria.

Igbafen said, “We want to tell Nigerians not to hold ASSU responsible, but hold the Federal government responsible for the paralysis that will be done to Nigerian universities in few days to come.

“On behalf of the Benin Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, I wish to welcome you to this conference.

“The Benin zone of ASUU comprises University of Benin, Benin City, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Delta State University, Abraka, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, University of Delta, Agbor, Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba and Southern Delta University, Ozoro.

“We are compelled to call you again at this defining moment in the history of university education in Nigeria, as it has become crystal clear that the Federal Government and its agents are inexplicably determined to cripple academic activities in the nation’s universities once more.

“Since the suspension of our last strike action in October 2022, the Federal Government is yet to make good its promise to actualise the review of our dismal conditions of service. It is yet to sign the draft renegotiated 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, which our Union views as a significant milestone in the resolution of the issues at hand.”

He added, “The satisfactory and conclusive renegotiation of the Agreement and its successful implementation is the only desirable solution to the worsening living and working conditions of staff, the pandemic problem of underfunding and other challenges of university governance in Nigeria.

“At the moment, the Federal Government is still unwilling to pay up years of arrears of promotion entitlements, still pays lip service to the duty of adequately funding education and continues to be reluctant to release our withheld three and a half months’ salaries and third-party deductions.

“It is unimaginable that, in the face of the daily exponential increases in the cost of basic services and goods in Nigeria, university lecturers have been abandoned to grapple with the harsh realities of an abysmally poor salary structure they have had to endure for 16 agonising years. Nigerians should be aware that this is a critical moment in the history of university education in the country, as it is currently on the precipice.

“It is on this basis that we call on all well-meaning Nigerians students, parents, civil society organisations, the press, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), statesmen, captains of industry and other stakeholders to prevail on the Federal and various State Governments in our country to honour their agreements with ASUU and prevent the nation’s educational sector from sliding further into an undesirable level of decay and dysfunction.”

ASUU noted that members were not delighted in going on strike but have completely exhausted their options, blaming top government officials for the poor educational system, as their children are outside the country for studying.

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Education

PHOTOS: 200-level Niger State varsity d!es after collapsing in her off-campus residence

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A 200 level student of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai, Niger State, has d!ed after collapsing in her off-campus lodge.

The deceased, identified as Adamu Fatima Muhammad, with matriculation number U23/FNS/BCH/1093, was a student of the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences.

Eye Witnesses said Fatima suddenly fell ill at her residence outside the university campus in Lapai and was rushed to the General Hospital, Lapai, where she was later confirmed d3ad.

According to the source, the deceased had earlier lost both parents and was living with her guardian in Suleja, Niger State, alongside her only surviving brother.

“She was a humble and dedicated student. Her passing is a tragedy that has thrown the entire university community into mourning,” the source said.

Fatima was buried in Lapai on Monday according to Islamic rites.

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Education

PHOTOS: School collapse in Indonesia leaves three de@d, 38 missing

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At least three students have been k!lled and dozens are missing following the collapse of an Islamic boarding school in Indonesia’s East Java province, authorities have said.

National Search and Rescue Agency head Mohammad Syafii said as of 12.30pm (0530 GMT) on Tuesday, “the number of victims is 102 people, consisting of 99 survivors, 3 deaths”.

Rescuers are searching for 38 people believed to be trapped under the rubble following the building collapse, the National Agency for Disaster Management said.

Eleven people have been rescued from the rubble, and 91 others managed to escape, the disaster management agency said.

Seventy-seven victims were taken to several hospitals in the area for treatment for their injuries, according to the agency.

“Efforts to assess the site, monitor the remaining building structure, and prepare evacuation routes for victims are the primary focus of the teams on the ground,” the agency said in a statement on social media.

The agency added that the incident called attention to the need for the “strict implementation of construction safety standards”.

“The public and managers of multistorey buildings are urged to ensure technical supervision during construction to prevent similar occurrences in the future,” it said.

Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, a separate body, had earlier reported that “provisional data” indicated that 100 students were caught up in the collapse, of whom all but one had been located alive.

Al-Khoziny Islamic Boarding School, in Sidoarjo, East Java, collapsed at about 3pm on Monday as students were gathering for afternoon prayers.

Authorities say the school’s foundation pillars gave way as crews were concreting the fourth floor of the building, trapping dozens of people under debris.

The incident is the second building collapse in Indonesia in less than a month.

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Education

NELFUND closes 2024/2025 loan portal, sets timeline for next application

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The Nigerian Education Loan Fund said the application portal for the 2024/2025 academic session will officially close on Tuesday.

The Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja on Monday.

Sawyerr said this was to allow the Fund to conclude processing of pending applications and upkeep payments.

He also announced timelines for the 2025/2026 academic cycle, in line with its mandate to expand access to higher education through interest-free student loans.

According to him, the loan portal will reopen in the second week of October for fresh applications and remain open until January 2026.

”NELFUND remains committed to removing financial barriers for students and working with institutions to ensure that no eligible student is left behind.

“These timelines provide clarity for students, parents, and institutions to plan and participate fully in the process,” Sawyerr said.

The managing director directed institutions to update their students’ records on the Student Verification System to enable applicants access the scheme.

He added that all unverified applications for 2024/2025 would be automatically cancelled after Oct. 8, noting that students affected would be required to reapply under the new session.

He warned that institutions that failed to verify students’ records risk being publicly listed for non-compliance.

On upkeep stipends, Sawyerr explained that the payment for the 2024/2025 session would continue until November, adding that students were expected to reapply for 2025/2026 to continue receiving payments.

On repayment terms, he reiterated that the scheme remained interest-free while repayment would begin two years after completion of the National Youth Service Corps, with employers mandated to deduct 10 per cent of beneficiaries’ salaries.

He further expressed concern over arbitrary hikes in tuition and ancillary fees by some institutions, noting that a committee set up by the Minister of Education is working with regulators to harmonise and standardise fee structures across institutions.

Responding to concerns about upkeep stipends, he said the current ₦20,000 monthly allowance would not be increased immediately.

Sawyerr said an ongoing review of cost-of-living indices across different regions could however lead to weighted adjustments in future.

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