Strike: Why ASUU Should Accept FG’s Offer — Ngige

Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has expressed optimism that members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities will accept the new offer by the Federal Government and end the eight-month strike which began in March.

He urged ASUU to hasten consultations with its members in order to return to the negotiation table before Friday.

“I feel that even this offer is one of the best they have ever gotten since I started conciliation with them. I do not see why they should not accept it. Everything they asked for has been granted. I don’t think they should say the offer is not good.

“But I told them before they left that asking the nation and the students to wait from Friday to Friday is unfair, they should come back to us by Tuesday. They have done that before when we negotiated with the Senate President. The offer was made on a Thursday and they came back to us on a Tuesday.

“So, that’s what I expect them to do this time around. If they do so, the nation will appreciate them and regard them as patriotic citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I expect them to get back to me much earlier than Friday,” the minister, who spoke on an Arise TV interview monitored by The PUNCH, said.

The PUNCH had reported last Friday that the Federal Government accepted the demand by ASUU that the lecturers be exempted from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.

The government also offered to increase the Earned Allowances to university staff from N30 billion to N35b and the Revitalisation Fund from N20b to N25b.

The development came after weeks of negotiations and disagreements by the FG and ASUU, which proposed the University Transparency and Accountability Solution as its preferred payment platform.

Reading out the communique at the end of a seven-hour negotiation with ASUU members in Abuja on Friday, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, had said the government also agreed to ASUU’s demand to pay their members’ salary arrears from February to June through the old salary payment platform, Government Integrated Financial and Management Information System.

The breakthrough in negotiations is expected to end the eight-month strike embarked on by the university lecturers as parents and students wait on ASUU to call off the strike.

#asuustrike

2023 Presidency: Odds Favour South-east Candidates In APC

The chances of the South-East pro­ducing the president in 2023 has tak­en an upward swing in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) follow­ing the defection of Governor David Umahi from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the party.

A credible source in the APC told Daily Independent on Monday that Umahi might have taken the decision after receiving assurances from President Muhammadu Buhari that he would do his best to ensure that the South-East produced the presidential flag bearer of the party in 2023.

While Buhari had not made any statement about his pre­ferred successor, our source said the president, who is committed to the unity of the country, wants to prove book­makers – who had predicted that he would back another northerner as his successor – wrong.

He also said the president’s cold disposition to the South West and Asiwaju Bola Tinu­bu, former governor of Lagos State and national leader of the party, may have necessi­tated the visit of some South- West APC leaders who are al­lies of Tinubu to the president last week.

The APC leaders include Chief Bisi Akande, Chief Se­gun Osoba, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, and Dr. Abayomi Fin­nih.

Even though all attempts to get a clue of what the meeting was all about or the topic of discussion were unsuccessful as the visitors would not talk to State House correspondents, our source said it might not be unconnected with the issue of the 2023 presidency.

“First, let me say this. A lot of PDP stakeholders, in­cluding Rivers State gover­nor, Nyesom Wike, have said Umahi, who is completing his second term as Ebonyi State governor, joined APC because he wants to contest for presi­dency in 2023 and he believed the PDP will not give him that opportunity.

“Something may have giv­en Umahi the courage to make that bold move. Did he receive assurances from the president that the ticket would be zoned to the South-East?

“Did the president have a special preference for him as the best person to succeed him?

“Why did many South-East leaders in the APC shun Uma­hi’s defection rally to APC yet many Northern bigwigs were in attendance? Could that be borne out of anger, jealousy or hatred?

“If they have been nursing the ambition and the president favours Umahi, a newcom­er from PDP, do you expect them to be happy? There are so many questions and ev­erything will become clearer in the coming days as 2023 is still far.

“Also, if you look at the vis­it of Tinubu’s allies to Buhari last week where they had a closed-door meeting without Tinubu himself in attendance, shortly after Umahi’s defec­tion, and the fact that Akande, Osoba and even the president have all maintained sealed lips on the purpose of the meeting, then you will know that some­thing serious is happening behind the scene.

“Don’t also forget that Northern elders have thrown their weight behind Igbo pres­idency, insisting that Nigeria’s 2023 presidency should rotate to the South-East zone.

“They said that their posi­tion was borne out of the need for every part of the country to be fairly and equitably treated in the nation’s politi­cal affairs.

“I know Buhari very well. He doesn’t talk but he likes keeping his game to his chest.

“In 2015, the Igbo didn’t vote for him but he has warmed his way into their hearts.

“He has always used every opportunity to say he was not an enemy of the South East, es­pecially given his relationship with the late Emeka Ojukwu.”

He said aside from Umahi, the South East APC parades credible politicians who have the capacity to govern Nigeria such as Ken Nnamani, former Senate President; Dr. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment; Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science and Technology; Geoffery Onyea­ma, Minister of Foreign Af­fairs; Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, and Senator Rochas Okorocha, among others.

“As a man who believes in the unity of the country, he may use the 2023 presidential election to prove those who have said he wants another northerner to succeed him wrong.

“Doing that will greatly reduce the cry of marginali­sation and secession threat in the region,” he said.

Also speaking with Daily Independent, Junaid Moham­med, elder statesman and Second Republic federal lawmak­er, said the PDP had already committed its presidential ticket to the North. ­

Junaid, who also said Presi­dent Buhari lacked the capaci­ty to lead the APC to victory in 2023, said any politician who realises that his ambition can­not be realised in the political party he belongs to should seek an alternative by joining another party or forming a new political party.

He said: “A political party is like a vehicle, a machine; you use it to climb to power.

“If one party does not give you the opportunity to be in power, you can join another party or create another party.

“So, anybody who is not happy with the way things are in the APC, my advice to such a person is to start looking for an alternative. The same thing applies to the PDP.

“But the PDP has commit­ted itself to making the next presidential candidate to come from the North.

“They may be mischie­vous but the fact of the matter is, given the commercialised nature of politics in Nigeria, whoever is going to confront their candidate is going to have a tough job to do.

“I don’t doubt the capacity of others who may want to test the waters on the part of the APC but whoever it is must be fully prepared, because it is go­ing to be tribal politics without any credible leader.

“Because Buhari has nev­er been seen to be good at any­thing. He is not the kind of person who will prepare APC as a party and give it the nec­essary leadership, and making him the arrowhead of a party that will win the next election in 2023.”

#punchng

Controversy Over N4.6bn Payments Due To IPPIS – Fashola

The Minister of Works and Housing , Babatunde Fashola , said no money was missing or stolen under his watch between September and December last year .

Fashola denied reports that he supervised the illegal payment of N 4. 6 bn into private accounts when he served as Minister of Power , Works and Housing .

The minister attributed the controversy over the payment of N 4. 6 bn to some directors to challenges arising from the use of government payment platform , the Integrated Personnel Payment and Information System .

An online report ( not The PUNCH ) had stated that Fashola ’ s ministry paid over N 4 .6 bn into personal accounts of directors and staff in four months in violation of extant law .

The report claimed that between September and December 2019 , the N 4. 6 bn was illegally paid into the private accounts of some directors and employees of the then Ministry of Power, Works and Housing .

But in reaction to the report, the works minister said, “ In all, no money was stolen or is missing. There is no smoking gun to criminalise Fashola .”

In a reaction he personally signed which was made available to our correspondent in Abuja on Monday , the minister explained that the Federal Government in 2007 initiated a payment platform, the IPPIS.

He argued that the current administration had been engaging all sectors of government to fully migrate to the IPPIS platform.

Fashola said , “ What has happened is that not all government officials who, from time to time, needed to be paid for approved expenses were registered on the platform.

“In order to ensure that government work was not hampered, the directors of finance and accounts sought and obtained approval of the accountant-general to pay these monies through the accounts of an approved few who were on the platform. ”

He added , “ Those so approved then collect the money and disburse to the beneficiaries who sign receipts all of which are retired and available for verification as approved by the accountant- general.”

The minister noted that the accountant- general had recently issued new guidelines to deal with this process.

This, he said, was ‘because not all public officials had fully enrolled on IPPIS and the DFAs had the mandate to comply and not Fashola

#punchng

Amaechi Apologies For Abuja-Kaduna Train Breakdown

Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has apologised to Nigerians for the breakdown on the Abuja-Kaduna rail locomotives which occurred between November 18 and November 20.
The minister made the plea on Monday at the Moniya rail station during the routine inspection of the ongoing rail project in Ibadan.

“I want to apologise to Nigerians over what happened at the Abuja-Kaduna rail station.
“We now have new locomotives and we have called the Chinese because we never expected the mechanical fault at this early stage.

“On behalf of the Federal Government, the ministry and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), we apologise to Nigerians and I have instructed the NRC to fix it or invite the Chinese.
“If this is happening now, then they should bring back our old locomotives, it will just affect turnaround times because we get the new locomotive to increase the turnaround time,” he said.

Amaechi called for an increase in the pace of work by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) adding that Covid-19 pandemic was no longer an excuse.
The minister said although the CCECC were doing well, they need to increase their pace to enable the ministry to deliver the project on schedule.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Mrs Madeleine Ajani, said there was a significant improvement in the ongoing work from what it was in October.
Ajani said the ministry was not shifting their date of the commissioning but would rather put more pressure on the CCECC to enable them to achieve their targets.

She explained the need for Lagos to have standard gauge train due to the population adding that in less than one and a half hours that the train would move from Lagos to Ibadan.
Ajani said that the establishment of the Standard gauge railway would also decongest both the road transportation and movement of cargo from the ports while people living in Ibadan could come and work in Lagos on a daily basis
The Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation, Mr Fidet Okhiria, said there was an improvement in the construction output by the contractors adding ”hopefully by December some of the stations would be completed’’.

“We also need to have more stations so that passengers will not need to wait for the train to leave Ebute-Meta Station before getting to Agege station which means that the two trains can be in a section.

“This can be done with the help of signal and communication hence train should be able to communicate with train as well as station should be able to communicate with station simultaneously.

“The delay in the rail construction along Apapa ports corridors is due to the Oando pipeline along Apapa corridor,” Okhiria said.

He disclosed that the train would start operating from Lagos to Moniya in Ibadan by Dec. 7.
According to Okhiria, 24 coaches, four passenger locomotives, nine freight locomotives and shunting locomotives had arrived Lagos while two of the freight locomotives would be transferred to Warri for a project.


#vanguard

New Trump Rule May Require Some African Tourists To Pay Up To $15,000 In Bonds

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The outgoing administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday issued a new temporary rule that could require tourist and business travelers from two dozen countries, most in Africa, to pay a bond of as much as $15,000 to visit the United States.

The U.S. State Department said the temporary final rule, which takes effect Dec. 24 and runs through June 24, targets countries whose nationals have higher rates of overstaying B-2 visas for tourists and B-1 visas for business travelers. The Trump administration said the six-month pilot program aims to test the feasibility of collecting such bonds and will serve as a diplomatic deterrence to overstaying the visas.

Trump, who lost a re-election bid earlier this month, made restricting immigration a central part of his four-year term in office. President-elect Joe Biden, a Democrat, has pledged to reverse many of the Republican president's immigration policies, but untangling hundreds of changes could take months or years.

Biden's transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment related to the visa bond requirement.

The visa bond rule will allow U.S. consular officers to require tourist and business travelers from countries whose nationals had an "overstay rate" of 10% or higher in 2019 to pay a refundable bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000.

Twenty-four countries meet that criteria, including 15 African countries. While those nations had higher rates of overstays, they sent relatively few travelers to the United States.

Historically, U.S. consular officers have been discouraged from requiring travelers to the United States to post a bond, with State Department guidance saying processing of the bonds would be "cumbersome," the temporary rule said.

Countries whose tourist and business travelers could be subject to the bond requirement include those from Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Sudan, Chad, Angola, Burundi, Djibouti and Eritrea. Other countries include Afghanistan, Bhutan, Iran, Syria, Laos and Yemen.

#uselection

Hoodlums Attack Presidential Task Force At Tin Can Port (photos, Video) - Report

Scores of hoodlums led by Mr. Taofeek popularly known as Tao attacked members of the Presidential Task Force and truck drivers at the Tin Can Port second gate in a bid to prevent the Presidential Task Force from putting a stop to their illegal activity of passing trucks without authorization.

The Presidential Task Force had successfully cleared the road for free movement of trucks into and out of the port but this was unacceptable to the hoodlums who had hitherto constituted themselves into the lord and master of the road, deciding unilaterally which truck could enter the port and which truck could not. Of course, the truckers were only allowed into the port after the payment of large sums of money to the hoodlums.

The hoodlums, in collaboration with some unscrupulous elements in the haulage industry, had reigned supreme on the road before the intervention of the Presidential Task Force. While they were illegally in charge, there was an endless queue of trucks on all the roads leading into Apapa. It should therefore surprise no one that they would resist the intervention of the Presidential Task Force.

During the altercation, the hoodlums threw stones and sticks in a bid to chase members of the Presidential Task Force away from the road. They attempted to burn the police patrol vehicle but were unsuccessful. They later vandalized the vehicle. Following the attack, the Presidential Task Force, including the civilian members, withdrew from the area without responding to the attack and provocation by the hoodlums.

Throughout the confrontation, the Team Leader, SP Femi Iwasokun prevailed on his men to remain calm and directed them to withdraw from the scene in an orderly manner.

There was no shooting of bullets or teargas and there was no fatality. While it is true that several people sustained injuries, none was life threatening or fatal and reports of the shooting of one Adamu by the Police was clearly stage managed by the hoodlums to gain sympathy.

The video and pictures here do not contain any shooting. Instead, it provides evidence of the orderly withdrawal of Policemen and the civilian members of the Presidential Task Force from the area.

Watch Video below...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxULguwBi9c

The continued presence of hoodlums in the Apapa area is inimical to the conduct of business by operators in the haulage industry and should be checked by concerned authorities.

However, there is need for all stakeholders to embrace peace and unity so that there will be progress in the industry, ISMAIL OLAOYE, Stakeholder in haulage industry said.

#nairaland

Okonjo-Iweala’s Rival, Yoo Myung-Hee To Withdraw From WTO DG Race

South Korea appears to have decided to withdraw its trade minister, Yoo Myung-hee, from the race for the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General, paving the way for Nigeria’s candidate, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to be confirmed as the head of the global trade body.

Washington Trade Daily (WTD) quoted people familiar with the development to have disclosed South Korea was expected to announce its decision to withdraw Myung-hee in the coming days to enable the WTO’s General Council appoint Okonjo-Iweala.

The Washington-based news medium further stated that South Korea had already conveyed its decision to the United States, which had been insisting on the selection of Myung-hee.

Part of the reason for the position adopted by the United States against Okonjo-Iweala, is that she is perceived to be close to the Democratic Party, according to the WTD.

The WTO had scheduled a General Council meeting for November 9, which was postponed after the Geneva Canton imposed new restrictions on meetings in the face of the sudden surge in Covid-19 cases. Most of the WTO meetings are largely being held virtually through internet platforms. In order to take decisions by the General Council, a quorum of 82 members must be present at the meeting.

A General Council meeting has been scheduled to take place on December 17, but it is not clear whether the meeting can take place if the current restrictions continue next month.

ThisDay


Korea plans to withdraw Trade Minister Yoo from the race for new WTO director general, paving the way for Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to be the next DG and the first woman and African in the role. #wtodg @NOIweala

Charly Boy Apologizes To His Daughter For Maltreating Her Because She Is Lesbian

Charley Boy, aka Area Fada, has written an open letter to apologize to his daughter for the way he treated her after she came out as a lesbian, IgbereTV reports.

Charly Boy had shared a post last week, saying he's proud to have a lesbian daughter and he supports her completely. But his daughter, Dewy Oputa hit back, stating that her father doesn't pick her calls and she was rendered homeless after she publicized her sexuality. She accused her dad of using her to chase clout as father of the year online, while caring nothing about her in real life.

Charly Boy has now responded. He said he was amused by his daughter's public condemnation because it's the same way he and his father - former Supreme Court justice Chukwudifu Oputa - butted heads before he was able to be independent.

"Lion no fit born goat, " he added.

He asked Dewy to forgive him and promised to allow her tell her story and to respect her perspectives.

He wrote:

"My Dear Dewy,

I know the last few days may have been tough for you flowing from my Friday post
“For Parents Only” on my Instagram.

I apologize if my post rubbed you the wrong way, for this I am deeply sorry, my bad.
Forgive me.

But Honestly,
I was talking to parents trying to get them to understand that they-can only give good advice or put their children on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.

I came into parenting the way most of us did — knowing nothing but trying to learn everything, becos, who no go no fit know.
The journey of parenthood is an emotional roller-coaster, filled with happiness, sadness, worries, frustration, pride, excitement and much more. Parenting is an amazing adventure.

When people dey yab me say you dey tackle me for social media, I just dey laff.
I dey laff because Na so I tackle my papa before I collect my independence. Lion no fit born goat. Never forget that the Oputa’s are very special people, and in you I see me.

Since Saturday morning I have received thousands of phone calls from parents and young people who feel disconnected with their parents. Their testimony has been quite insightful.
I was only able to offer a listening ear and soothing words, but I feel taller because our story inspired thousands.
That’s a good thing.

My darling, I promise to allow you tell your story like I have been able to tell mine. I respect your perspectives and I understand. I brought you all up as Global Kids and not as timid village champions.

Let’s just go back to the friendship we have been working on.
I love you and no one can contest, not even you.

My Charly Girl
Princess Dewy
Daddy’s Totori"

#charlyboy

Timipre Sylva: Nigerians Should Be Proud Of Fuel Imports From Niger Republic

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, says Nigerians should be proud that the Federal Government is set to resume the importation of petroleum products from neighbouring Niger Republic.

Sylva said contrary to comments by critics of the government, the plan by the Federal Government to resume fuel importation from its West African brother should not be seen as ‘an embarrassment’ but rather as a means of encouraging intra-regional trade.

The PUNCH had reported that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources announced last Thursday in a statement that the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding for petroleum products transportation and storage.

According to the statement, Niger Republic’s Soraz Refinery in Zinder, some 260km from the Nigerian border, has an installed refining capacity of 20,000 barrels per day.

The move by the Federal Government attracted steaming criticisms with many knocking the government over its inability to keep the country’s refineries running.

But reacting on Monday evening while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme monitored by The PUNCH, the minister said Nigeria is a big market that needs excess fuel products manufactured in other countries.

Sylva said, “I don’t see that as an embarrassment at all. As a country, Nigeria is a big market, we need products, even if all our refineries were functioning, we will still need extra products.

“Niger Republic produces oil and they are landlocked as a country. They have a refinery that produces in excess of what they require as a country and they offered to sell to us in Nigeria because this is a bigger market.

“In the spirit of regional cooperation, regional trade development, we decided to buy from them. I don’t see anything wrong with that. If your neighbour is producing something that is required in your country and you buy from him, why is that a big problem?

“So, we agreed with Niger to buy the excess of what they don’t require in Niger because this is a big market.”

“Nigerians should be proud that we are doing that to encourage sub-regional trade because we have been talking about sub-regional trade for a long time and this is how it should be between neighbouring countries. Niger should import from us what they have and we should be able to import from Niger what they have. Let us encourage intra-regional trade and this is one good example of trading within West Africa,” he added.


#punchng

PDP sets up National Reconciliation Committee:

HE Abubakar Bukola Saraki - Chairman
HE Ibrahim Dankwambo (ex-Gombe Gov)
HE Ibrahim Shema (ex-Katsina Gov)
Sen. Pius Anyim (ex-SGF)
Hon. Mulikat Adeola (ex-HoRep, Majority leader)
HE Liyel Imoke (Fmr Cross-River Gov)


@OfficialPDPNig Names @bukolasaraki as Chairman, National Reconciliation Committee.
Members are @HEDankwambo: @IbrahimShema: @SenatorAnyim: @mulikatadeola: @LiyelImoke