THE Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said that state governors entered into an agreement with the Federal Government on the removal of the fuel subsidy.
In her reaction to criticisms that she was solely responsible for the hike in the price of petrol, Okonjo-Iweala stated that the state governors were equally in support of the subsidy removal, adding that the decision was not taken by the Federal Government only.
Speaking on ‘Matters Arising,’ a programme of the Africa Independent Television (AIT) on Tuesday, the Finance Minister, while articulating that the benefits from removal of the fuel subsidy far outweighed the present hardship the people are facing, stated that she was not responsible for the removal of the subsidy, as many people had claimed, adding that the decision was even taken six months before she joined the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
“I was not there six months ago, when the state governors deliberated and agreed on the removal of fuel subsidy. Most of the governors then were aware. So, it would be unfair to say that I am solely responsible for this. What of the governors?” she said, adding that, “I am sure it is the people who don’t want me here in the first place that are spreading this false information around.”
Dr Okonjo-Iweala, therefore, tasked Nigerians to be fair and objective in their criticisms, as far as the removal of the fuel subsidy is concerned, insisting that the decision to remove fuel subsidy, as claimed in many quarters, was not determined by her alone.
While pleading that the people should try to understand the initiative of the government, which is geared towards a sustainable economic development, Dr Okonjo-Iweala further reiterated the resolve of the Federal Government not to deliberately inflict hardship on the people, saying that with the removal of the fuel subsidy, Nigerians stood a better chance of improved living conditions, more job opportunities, functional refineries, among other services.
The finance minister identified with the pains of the people, saying that “the fuel price would not remain high forever.” She added that “this is a tough decision for any government to take. Ghana also took the decision recently. We know it is not an easy decision for the Federal Government, but it is a decision for the good of the people.
“This money will be used to improve delivery of services for the people. Let us put the money into areas that will facilitate production, such as provision of power supply, providing state-of-the-art hospitals, especially to curb the maternal mortality rate. Government would invest heavily in refineries, which will be sustained by private investors, as well as hydro power projects. This, including others, would create more jobs for our people,” she said.
While commenting further, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, also harped on the need for the people to understand the sincere motives of the government, insisting that the removal of the subsidy is indeed a necessary step out of an impending economic collapse, hence the government’s decision to remove the subsidy. He added that the removal of the fuel subsidy was a collective decision by stakeholders such as the National Executive Council (NEC), the state governors, among others.
Speaking on the reason the government introduced palliative measures after the removal of the fuel subsidy, the CBN governor said, “removing the subsidy is a necessary course to address the root cause of poverty in the nation. Palliatives would not solve the problem. We do understand how Nigerians feel. They should also try to understand us. Let us not forget that the increase of fuel subsidy is not a new development. It occurred during General Ibrahim Babandiga’s regime, Obasanjo’s regime, both as a military head of state and democratic president.”
While lamenting the economic situation of the country, the CBN governor expressed displeasure that the nation’s manufacturing capacity is less than five per cent, while Nigeria imports most of the goods it consumes. “We import rice. We import milk and package it here. We import wheat. The country’s economy cannot be sustained with this,” adding that the Federal Government’s policy on fuel subsidy removal would not only help to revive the already failing economy, but would also provide the necessary platform for the improvement of the living standard of the Nigerian masses.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government is said to be weighing several options in relation to some of the state governors who have been linked with secretly sponsoring anti-subsidy removal protests in their states.
Sources in the administration confirmed, on Tuesday, that government had earlier received reports indicating that some governors, especially in some southern states have been linked with the sponsorship of anti-subsidy protests.
“What happened is that indigenes of some of those states were indifferent to the removal of fuel subsidy in the very first week. And in order to galvanise protests, some government persons were seen to have mobilised the sporadic protests witnessed last week,” a source said, adding that politicians in the states had actually hijacked the labour-induced protests which started on Monday for personal gains.
According to sources, “reports reaching the Federal Government indicated that some state governors have decided to play politics with the subsidy removal and turn around from what was decided at the National Economic Council (NEC).
Another source said that the strike by labour was becoming suspicious because the same organised labour had refused to go on strike to defend the rights of the people of far North, South-East and South-South who have been buying fuel at prices far above the pump price.
“The people of the North-East and North-West have been buying fuel at N250 per litre, the same for people of the South-South, while the people of the South-East have been buying fuel at N120 per litre. It is not on record that labour went on strike to defend the rights of the people of those areas,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank did not instruct or direct it to withdraw fuel subsidy, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Chukwuemeka Wogu, said in Abuja, on Tuesday.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that government took the decision in the best interest of the country and its citizenry and also to stimulate the economy.
The minister was reacting to claims by opponents of the decision that government was taking dictation from the Breton Woods institutions on how to manage the nation’s economy.
He stressed that the Federal Government would not take decisions that were injurious to Nigerians and reassured that fuel subsidy withdrawal became necessary to save the nation’s economy from going adrift.
Wogu argued that the subsidy withdrawal policy began 15 years prior to 2012 under past administrations and that it was time to put the economy on a straight path.
“Whether our policy is driven by IMF, it is not.
“For the past 15 years, right from the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, down to that of General Olusegun Obasanjo, even General Abdulsalami Abubakar tried it by increasing the pump price of fuel, till now.
“Every government has tried to do it because of the benefits that will be derived from it; other countries are equally doing the same; we are just arriving at the scene quite late.”
Wogu told NAN that African and non-African countries which had toed the line of subsidy removal in the past currently had very vibrant economies.
“In the countries that have done it before, who have now come out to be one of the strongest economies in the world, is Brazil.
“Brazil did it and people were agitated that this was not in the best interest, but with the passage of time, look at what Brazil has turned into, generating a lot of jobs, creating a lot of rich people, the same thing will happen in the country.
“And then you can see that because of the global economic issues, Ghana, for instance, is in the media and has removed subsidies and they’ve done their own deregulation in the oil and gas subsector.
“The only thing we are asking Nigerians to do is to be patient with the government so that at the end of the day, we will be able to reap the benefits of this policy.”
Read More at Nigerian Diary!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Why Nigerians experience Calamities
We earlier posted an article, showing the
Secrets To The Best Production in 2012 .
Now, we want to highlight one of the biggest reasons Nigerians keep having problems with themselves is that we are dependent on people for everything. Don’t think that I have come to attack you or any other person, all the answers are within you.
The answer to our problems is for us to move from consumers society to producers society. Production panel .com holds that syllabus. This is not Nigerian schools that we only have wide gap between theories and practice. Productionpanel.com will bridge that gap today and make you a producer.
House Of Reps Ask FG To Reverse Fuel Subsidy Removal
Some hours ago, we received a lot of email messages from Nigerians and outsiders concerning our earlier post about our Secrets To The Best Production in 2012 .
Today, we want to tell you the outcome of the emergency session held by The House of representatives labelled "The removal of fuel subsidy illegal" and asked the Federal Government to reverse its decision to remove the subsidy on fuel.
The Legislature adopted a motion urging The Federal Government to suspend its decision on the removal of the fuel subsidy in appreciation of the mood of the nation and allow more room for consultations.”
They also pleaded with labour unions “to suspend the intended strike action and submit to further dialogue on the matter.”
How would advice your Leaders with respect to the fuel subsidy issue in Nigeria?
Today, we want to tell you the outcome of the emergency session held by The House of representatives labelled "The removal of fuel subsidy illegal" and asked the Federal Government to reverse its decision to remove the subsidy on fuel.
The Legislature adopted a motion urging The Federal Government to suspend its decision on the removal of the fuel subsidy in appreciation of the mood of the nation and allow more room for consultations.”
They also pleaded with labour unions “to suspend the intended strike action and submit to further dialogue on the matter.”
How would advice your Leaders with respect to the fuel subsidy issue in Nigeria?
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Secrets To The Best Production in 2012
Why should Nigerians live in conditions worse than that of their grandparents? This is the same question that I keep hearing on CNN, BBC, AJ and so on. Trade Unions ask this same question, and others. Is our individual problems Boko Haram? Here is the answer… No, Become a producer!
Hello Nigerians, throughout 2011, I’ve been wondering why fellow Nigerians call me “The Young Investor” until some hours ago when one of well-meaning Nigerians called, saying that I happened to be fall among the young people who obey the laws of money.
Though he was the only person who told me why they kept calling me, “The Young Investor”, he was among the people who told me that they were trained by the so-called Professors of production, but they didn’t get to their desired product qualities.
For over 3 years now, I’ve been carefully studying and practicing the simple things that promote the conversion of raw-materials into products in the most-economical rate, as a Chemical engineer.
As a matter of fact, I don’t like giving out what I have put up at productionpanel.com , because they promote rivalries in business. Someone said that anybody who has the secrets has a direct line to GOD to make wealth at will. But, I told him that I can’t help it. I have to ease my brain and give room for other things.
Here is what I have to say. I am not here to sell you because I’m not a marketer, but I’m here to give only a limited number of people the step-by-step guide to best of products that we have around us, with 24/7 support to production.
If you believe that subsidy removal is not the free air that breath from GOD, I want you to leave whatever that you are doing right now and get over to www.productionpanel.com and start producing a product of your own. Being able to produce from there is as certain as the sun that rises in the morning and I believe that no one can boast of true legacy without a successor.
The link is www.productionpanel.com .
For me, this is not just an offer, “The Young Investor” says that “It is a symbol of will… this is not by force. You now have the chance to acquire the grace to face tomorrow positively.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Genesis of Industrial action on Nigerian crude
According to Reuters, Strikes and protests across Nigeria against a hike in fuel prices are unlikely to disrupt oil output in Africa's biggest exporter (Nigeria), industry players said, further calming supply fears after Royal Dutch Shell restarted two large fields.But a force majeure on Bonny Light crude oil exports on Thursday underscored the fragility of production in Nigeria, a key oil supplier to the U.S. and Europe.
Nigerian trade unions threatened on Wednesday to call a national strike starting on Monday, which they said would shut down large parts of the country's oil industry, if the government failed to restore a fuel subsidy.
Protests have already swept across the country, from the commercial capital Lagos in the south to Kano in the north.
Police used tear gas to disperse Kano protesters on Thursday, witnesses said, after they had camped out in the central square overnight.
The government said it would not budge on the subsidy, which it removed on Sunday as part of sweeping economic reforms. That set the scene for a showdown with unions and protesters angered by a sharp rise in fuel prices.
The unions promised to shut down "all offices, oil production centres, air and sea ports, fuel stations, markets, banks, among others".
But oil industry players told Reuters on Thursday there would probably be minimal disruption to facilities.
"If union members strike, management will take over their roles in the short term," a spokesman for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation said by telephone.
"If talks fail and there is a strike, we will make sure all our facilities are secure. We are reliant on oil production for our foreign exchange earnings, so we will sustain production."
LITTLE IMPACT ON OUTPUT
Officials at major oil companies, none of whom could be quoted, also shrugged off any likely impact on output.
"Most of the processes are automated, so there won't be an impact on production," a senior official at an international oil company told Reuters.
"If they eventually go on strike ... We're going to have people who are non-union members working," he added.
The only risk to output could be that demonstrators attempt a total blockade on production, which happened during an election dispute in 1993, but few in the industry expect the protest to be that well organised and determined.
"If they go ahead and shut everything down, that would have a major impact for which we have no contingency plan," said one oil worker. "We're monitoring the situation."
Production has resumed from Nigeria's 200,000 barrel per day (bpd) offshore Bonga oilfield, Shell said on Thursday, after the facility was shut down by a loading accident that caused the country's biggest oil spill in 13 years.
It also said its shallow water offshore 115,000 barrel per day (bpd) EA oil field restarted production on Dec. 27, after it was shut down for maintenance work.
Nigerian crude oil values slipped on Thursday, under pressure from ample supplies of sweet crude, shrugging off the threatened national strike and the force majeure on Bonny Light loadings.
The force majeure was declared because of a leak in Shell's Nembe Creek Trunk Line, which handles about 70,000 bpd.
The pipeline in the swampy creeks of the Niger Delta was shut down on Dec. 24 but that went unreported, eclipsed by a much bigger leak at Shell's offshore Bongo facility. Shell blamed the leak on sabotage by oil thieves.
Oil prices fell on Thursday, pressured by an unexpected build in U.S. crude stockpiles that outweighed concerns that rising tensions between the West and Iran will disrupt supplies.
Nigerian trade unions threatened on Wednesday to call a national strike starting on Monday, which they said would shut down large parts of the country's oil industry, if the government failed to restore a fuel subsidy.
Protests have already swept across the country, from the commercial capital Lagos in the south to Kano in the north.
Police used tear gas to disperse Kano protesters on Thursday, witnesses said, after they had camped out in the central square overnight.
The government said it would not budge on the subsidy, which it removed on Sunday as part of sweeping economic reforms. That set the scene for a showdown with unions and protesters angered by a sharp rise in fuel prices.
The unions promised to shut down "all offices, oil production centres, air and sea ports, fuel stations, markets, banks, among others".
But oil industry players told Reuters on Thursday there would probably be minimal disruption to facilities.
"If union members strike, management will take over their roles in the short term," a spokesman for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation said by telephone.
"If talks fail and there is a strike, we will make sure all our facilities are secure. We are reliant on oil production for our foreign exchange earnings, so we will sustain production."
LITTLE IMPACT ON OUTPUT
Officials at major oil companies, none of whom could be quoted, also shrugged off any likely impact on output.
"Most of the processes are automated, so there won't be an impact on production," a senior official at an international oil company told Reuters.
"If they eventually go on strike ... We're going to have people who are non-union members working," he added.
The only risk to output could be that demonstrators attempt a total blockade on production, which happened during an election dispute in 1993, but few in the industry expect the protest to be that well organised and determined.
"If they go ahead and shut everything down, that would have a major impact for which we have no contingency plan," said one oil worker. "We're monitoring the situation."
Production has resumed from Nigeria's 200,000 barrel per day (bpd) offshore Bonga oilfield, Shell said on Thursday, after the facility was shut down by a loading accident that caused the country's biggest oil spill in 13 years.
It also said its shallow water offshore 115,000 barrel per day (bpd) EA oil field restarted production on Dec. 27, after it was shut down for maintenance work.
Nigerian crude oil values slipped on Thursday, under pressure from ample supplies of sweet crude, shrugging off the threatened national strike and the force majeure on Bonny Light loadings.
The force majeure was declared because of a leak in Shell's Nembe Creek Trunk Line, which handles about 70,000 bpd.
The pipeline in the swampy creeks of the Niger Delta was shut down on Dec. 24 but that went unreported, eclipsed by a much bigger leak at Shell's offshore Bongo facility. Shell blamed the leak on sabotage by oil thieves.
Oil prices fell on Thursday, pressured by an unexpected build in U.S. crude stockpiles that outweighed concerns that rising tensions between the West and Iran will disrupt supplies.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Senate blames Federal Governmnent on ASUU strike
Previously. we talked about ASUU industrial action, but today, we are bringing to you, the accused...
The Senate, while accusing the Federal Government of being responsible for the strike by the university teachers, stressed that government’s continued delay in the full implementation of the agreement reached with ASUU in 2009 was responsible for the strike.
Speaking when the Education Minister, Professor Rukuayyatu Ahmed Rufai, appeared before the Senate Committee on Education, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Uche Chukwumerije (PDP, Abia South) warned that the National Assembly and Nigerians were not prepared for excuses from the government. Also yesterday, the Senate rejected excuses by the minister in implementing the 2009 agreement reached with ASUU, when she tried to explain, adding that the explanations were not tenable.
Chukwumerije, who warned the government against foot-dragging on the implementation of the agreement reached with ASUU in 2009, said: “I wonder why it is taking the Federal Government almost three years to implement the agreement reached with the academic staff and even settles all the contentious issues.
”This is December and in few weeks time, we will be in 2012. It took a judgment by the Supreme Court before the matter on the illegal sack of University of Ilorin teachers could be implemented; do you also want us to wait for another four years on this?”
Rufai, who had explained that most of the nine-point demands had been implemented while the eighth had got to the stages of implementation, stressed that the real bone of contention was the content of the retirement age bill that merged universities with all other tertiary institutions.
Adding that the processes that all the issues have to pass through caused the delay, but which ASUU is kicking against.
The furious Chukwumerije who was not happy with the minister’s excuses that the remaining eight were being delayed because of the processes, said, “You keep saying processes and processes. These processes are they made in the moon or Jupiter or where else. Are you not the people that created these processes? Or is it that you are waiting for another court action before you implement an agreement both parties willingly singed almost three years ago? Why can’t these processes be speed up to safe us another agony of going on strike?”.
Replying, the Minister who noted that it was not that government deliberately refused to attend to other demands, said that the circumstances surrounding them does not help the matter especially the difference in the 65 years retirement age for Non-academic staff and 70 years for the academic staff.
“On the passage of the bill on retirement age of 65 years for non-teaching and 70 years for teaching professional cadre, the ministry has since directed that affected staff who may retire before the passage of the bill should be offered contract appointments and regularized when the bill takes effect”, she said.
Speaking further, the Committee, Senate Committee on Education who noted that the bill on retirement age of lecturers was being treated expressly, disclosed that it has already reached second reading in the House of Representatives and on its way to second reading in the senate.
Chukwumerije who warned the Federal Government against further delay said, “You said the delay is caused by the process, Mrs. Minister, were these process made in moon or Jupiter, why can’t these process be sped up for God’s sake, please, call anyone involved to order or else, the senate may be forced to take some unexpected steps”.
Defending the Federal government, the Education Minister noted that remaining two agreements which were yet to be implemented required legal provisions, while the federal government was awaiting the recommendation of the Implementation Monitoring Committee, IMC on the transfer of the landed property.
On the implementation of the new salary package, (CONUASS 11), Professor Professor Rukuayyatu Ahmed Rufai said that the sum of N14billion was released to pay the outstanding arrears from July 2009 and the Earned Academic Allowances EAA, adding, “the allowances are to be paid by the institutions from their Internally Generated Revenue, IGR which some of the ivory towers have partially implemented.
“All have complained that they cannot generate the IGR needed for its full implementation. However, as at 2010, the total IGR declared by the 26 universities and 3 inter-Universities centers was over N25billion. On 28th September, 2011, the universities presented a bill of over N106billion as the additional funding required to fully implement the EAA.
The minister further declared that there has been a progressive increase in funding to federal universities since the 2009 agreement was signed, stressing that the increment ranged between over N84 billion in 2007 to over N184 billion in 2010, adding that the funding however does not include intervention fund from TET fund, PTDF, IGR among others, while the proposal by federal universities for the revitalization of the federal universities between 2009 and 2011 is N1.518 trillion.
She also told the Education committee that the sponsorship of the lecturers for post graduate studies have been fully implemented through the TET fund intervention.
The Minister and other stakeholders later left the Senate for a meeting with ASUU and the Federal government with the federal government team being headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.
The Senate, while accusing the Federal Government of being responsible for the strike by the university teachers, stressed that government’s continued delay in the full implementation of the agreement reached with ASUU in 2009 was responsible for the strike.
Speaking when the Education Minister, Professor Rukuayyatu Ahmed Rufai, appeared before the Senate Committee on Education, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Uche Chukwumerije (PDP, Abia South) warned that the National Assembly and Nigerians were not prepared for excuses from the government. Also yesterday, the Senate rejected excuses by the minister in implementing the 2009 agreement reached with ASUU, when she tried to explain, adding that the explanations were not tenable.
Chukwumerije, who warned the government against foot-dragging on the implementation of the agreement reached with ASUU in 2009, said: “I wonder why it is taking the Federal Government almost three years to implement the agreement reached with the academic staff and even settles all the contentious issues.
”This is December and in few weeks time, we will be in 2012. It took a judgment by the Supreme Court before the matter on the illegal sack of University of Ilorin teachers could be implemented; do you also want us to wait for another four years on this?”
Rufai, who had explained that most of the nine-point demands had been implemented while the eighth had got to the stages of implementation, stressed that the real bone of contention was the content of the retirement age bill that merged universities with all other tertiary institutions.
Adding that the processes that all the issues have to pass through caused the delay, but which ASUU is kicking against.
The furious Chukwumerije who was not happy with the minister’s excuses that the remaining eight were being delayed because of the processes, said, “You keep saying processes and processes. These processes are they made in the moon or Jupiter or where else. Are you not the people that created these processes? Or is it that you are waiting for another court action before you implement an agreement both parties willingly singed almost three years ago? Why can’t these processes be speed up to safe us another agony of going on strike?”.
Replying, the Minister who noted that it was not that government deliberately refused to attend to other demands, said that the circumstances surrounding them does not help the matter especially the difference in the 65 years retirement age for Non-academic staff and 70 years for the academic staff.
“On the passage of the bill on retirement age of 65 years for non-teaching and 70 years for teaching professional cadre, the ministry has since directed that affected staff who may retire before the passage of the bill should be offered contract appointments and regularized when the bill takes effect”, she said.
Speaking further, the Committee, Senate Committee on Education who noted that the bill on retirement age of lecturers was being treated expressly, disclosed that it has already reached second reading in the House of Representatives and on its way to second reading in the senate.
Chukwumerije who warned the Federal Government against further delay said, “You said the delay is caused by the process, Mrs. Minister, were these process made in moon or Jupiter, why can’t these process be sped up for God’s sake, please, call anyone involved to order or else, the senate may be forced to take some unexpected steps”.
Defending the Federal government, the Education Minister noted that remaining two agreements which were yet to be implemented required legal provisions, while the federal government was awaiting the recommendation of the Implementation Monitoring Committee, IMC on the transfer of the landed property.
On the implementation of the new salary package, (CONUASS 11), Professor Professor Rukuayyatu Ahmed Rufai said that the sum of N14billion was released to pay the outstanding arrears from July 2009 and the Earned Academic Allowances EAA, adding, “the allowances are to be paid by the institutions from their Internally Generated Revenue, IGR which some of the ivory towers have partially implemented.
“All have complained that they cannot generate the IGR needed for its full implementation. However, as at 2010, the total IGR declared by the 26 universities and 3 inter-Universities centers was over N25billion. On 28th September, 2011, the universities presented a bill of over N106billion as the additional funding required to fully implement the EAA.
The minister further declared that there has been a progressive increase in funding to federal universities since the 2009 agreement was signed, stressing that the increment ranged between over N84 billion in 2007 to over N184 billion in 2010, adding that the funding however does not include intervention fund from TET fund, PTDF, IGR among others, while the proposal by federal universities for the revitalization of the federal universities between 2009 and 2011 is N1.518 trillion.
She also told the Education committee that the sponsorship of the lecturers for post graduate studies have been fully implemented through the TET fund intervention.
The Minister and other stakeholders later left the Senate for a meeting with ASUU and the Federal government with the federal government team being headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.
ASUU embarks on Industrial Action today over non-implementation of Agreement
UNIVERSITY lecrurers announced yesterday a “total, comprehensive and indefinite strike”. Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are angry over what they called the government’s refusal to implement the 2009 Federal Government (FGN)/ASUU agreement. Besides, said ASUU, the government disregarded the two months grace the union gave for the government to show faith in the agreement.
ASUU National President Ukachukwu Awuzie told reporters in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, that the decision to embark on the strike was painful.
Awuzie, a professor, read a 12-page statement, saying that the proposed removal of fuel subsidy would be resisted by the union.
He noted that the long-drawn interaction ASUU had with the Federal Government bordered on saving the university system from collapse and institutionalising global standard practices of knowledge culturing, spanning 2001 till date.
Prof. Awuzie said: “The government has abandoned the main tenet of industrial democracy- that all agreements freely entered into must be honoured. “NEC (of ASUU), having noted that the Federal Government neglected, ignored, failed and refused to implement the core components of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, after more than two years of its signing, having squandered two months it requested without achieving any progress in the implementation of the agreement, having sacked the Implementation Monitoring Committee that served as the forum for dialogue with ASUU on this dispute, is convinced that the government is terribly insincere and is manifestly unwilling to genuinely implement the agreement it freely entered into with ASUU.
“ASUU resolved, painfully, to direct all members in all branches nationwide to proceed on a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike, beginning from the midnight of Sunday, 4th December, 2011.
“For the avoidance of doubt, a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike means: no teaching, no examinations, no grading of scripts, no project supervision, no inaugural lectures, no appointment and promotion meetings, no statutory meetings (Council, Senate, Board etc.) or other meetings directed by government or their agents.”
Awuzie said accelerating the development of the university system to become internationally competitive could no longer be delayed, in view of the Vision 20: 2020 goals.
He described the ongoing institutional accreditation embarked upon by the Federal Government as an absurdity, noting that the exercise is deceptive. It is to encourage university administrators to pretend that all is well with the system, he said.
Awuzie noted that the Federal Government’s allocation to education is an average of eight per cent of the country’s annual budget, contrary to the 30 per cent of total annual budget of countries like South Africa and Ghana.
He lamented that the best university in Nigeria is not among the first 6,000 in the world.
Awuzie expressed displeasure over what he described as the taking over of Nigeria’s economy and other sectors by foreign interests.
He alleged that the economic team is a representative of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
To the ASUU president, the ruling class has failed, for being unable to provide jobs, education, healthcare, affordable transportation and roads, among others, and being incapable of uniting the people.
Awuzie noted that the Jonathan administration is unable to protect Nigerians from hunger, robbery, murder of innocent citizens and insecurity.
The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) has asked the Federal Government to urgently honour its agreement with ASUU.
ANPP National Chairman Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu said the situation should not be allowed to continue as it will pose serious challenges to the nation’s educational system if not resolved.
Speaking at the inauguration of a 10-man committee, led by Senator Kabiru Gaya, for the building of the party’s national secretariat, Onu criticised what he called the Federal Government’s lack of commitment to education.
Onu said: “We urge the Federal Government to return to the negotiation table with ASUU and ensure that their demands are met so that the quality of education in the universities would be enhanced. Education remains a vital instrument for sustainable development.”
Labour Minister Emeka Wogu said government is unaware of the strike proposal.
According to him, the last meeting the government held with Labour agreed on an adjournment for Wednesday.
“We are not aware of the strike plan,” he said.
ASUU National President Ukachukwu Awuzie told reporters in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, that the decision to embark on the strike was painful.
Awuzie, a professor, read a 12-page statement, saying that the proposed removal of fuel subsidy would be resisted by the union.
He noted that the long-drawn interaction ASUU had with the Federal Government bordered on saving the university system from collapse and institutionalising global standard practices of knowledge culturing, spanning 2001 till date.
Prof. Awuzie said: “The government has abandoned the main tenet of industrial democracy- that all agreements freely entered into must be honoured. “NEC (of ASUU), having noted that the Federal Government neglected, ignored, failed and refused to implement the core components of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement, after more than two years of its signing, having squandered two months it requested without achieving any progress in the implementation of the agreement, having sacked the Implementation Monitoring Committee that served as the forum for dialogue with ASUU on this dispute, is convinced that the government is terribly insincere and is manifestly unwilling to genuinely implement the agreement it freely entered into with ASUU.
“ASUU resolved, painfully, to direct all members in all branches nationwide to proceed on a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike, beginning from the midnight of Sunday, 4th December, 2011.
“For the avoidance of doubt, a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike means: no teaching, no examinations, no grading of scripts, no project supervision, no inaugural lectures, no appointment and promotion meetings, no statutory meetings (Council, Senate, Board etc.) or other meetings directed by government or their agents.”
Awuzie said accelerating the development of the university system to become internationally competitive could no longer be delayed, in view of the Vision 20: 2020 goals.
He described the ongoing institutional accreditation embarked upon by the Federal Government as an absurdity, noting that the exercise is deceptive. It is to encourage university administrators to pretend that all is well with the system, he said.
Awuzie noted that the Federal Government’s allocation to education is an average of eight per cent of the country’s annual budget, contrary to the 30 per cent of total annual budget of countries like South Africa and Ghana.
He lamented that the best university in Nigeria is not among the first 6,000 in the world.
Awuzie expressed displeasure over what he described as the taking over of Nigeria’s economy and other sectors by foreign interests.
He alleged that the economic team is a representative of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
To the ASUU president, the ruling class has failed, for being unable to provide jobs, education, healthcare, affordable transportation and roads, among others, and being incapable of uniting the people.
Awuzie noted that the Jonathan administration is unable to protect Nigerians from hunger, robbery, murder of innocent citizens and insecurity.
The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) has asked the Federal Government to urgently honour its agreement with ASUU.
ANPP National Chairman Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu said the situation should not be allowed to continue as it will pose serious challenges to the nation’s educational system if not resolved.
Speaking at the inauguration of a 10-man committee, led by Senator Kabiru Gaya, for the building of the party’s national secretariat, Onu criticised what he called the Federal Government’s lack of commitment to education.
Onu said: “We urge the Federal Government to return to the negotiation table with ASUU and ensure that their demands are met so that the quality of education in the universities would be enhanced. Education remains a vital instrument for sustainable development.”
Labour Minister Emeka Wogu said government is unaware of the strike proposal.
According to him, the last meeting the government held with Labour agreed on an adjournment for Wednesday.
“We are not aware of the strike plan,” he said.
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