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National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) President, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, speaks with Tribune Reporter, SOJI-EZE FAGBEMI, on why the Union did not join the on-going strike by NASU and SSANU. He also states the immediate demands of the Union, without which it will review its stand and consider a strike option.

WHAT is the decision taken by the Union after your National Executive Council (NEC) meeting; considering your dialogue with the government?

First and foremost, we asked that branches should go and take a referendum on whether we should proceed on strike or not. We just finished our National Executive Council meeting and from our referendum, 36 per cent of our branches said we should go on strike, and 40 per cent said we should not go on strike. This translated to 26 branches voted in favour of us going on strike and 30 branches voted in favour of not going on strike. Moreover, yesterday we had a discussion with the Federal Government and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment invited us for a discussion and the meeting is on-going. If we are having an on-going with the Federal Government it would be wrong for us to proceed on strike without getting to the end of the discussion, or whereby it is deadlock or the Federal Government refuses in any form, then we can go on strike. But for now, the National Association of Academic Technologists is not on strike and we will not go on strike until the end of discussion with the Federal Government.

We have three non-academic unions in the university system. Two, NASU and SSANU, have started strike. It means you are not joining them?

No. We are not on strike, we are independent of NASU and SSANU, we are not members of JAC, that is JAC of NASU and SSANU. Our congresses have asked us not to go on strike, and we cannot but take their directive because they are our principals.

But since you are pursuing the same goals, which indeed you started together, don’t you think this will negatively affect the struggle on both sides?

Pursuing the same goals in quotes. The same goal because the three unions were shortchanged by the government in terms of the amount of money allocated to the three unions. But even the N10 billion that was allocated to the three unions has also shown that our Union, NASU and SSANU are not on the same page. Our members across the branches are being shortchanged. Go through the universities, you discover that NASU and SSANU are insisting that this thing be paid across board irrespective of our agreement and my Union takes exception to that. That is not acceptable to us and because of that, we are not going on strike, we are forging ahead with our discussion with the Federal Government that additional money should be given to my Union separately. We are also mindful that our children have been outside the campuses for almost one year now. So, we don’t want to disrupt academic activities now because it is only lecturers and technologists that have contact hours with students. We are mindful of that.

Do you believe this government will listen to you?

Yes. Not just listen to us, we want to ask the general public, well meaning individuals to prevail on the government that we are conscious of the fact that the students have been out of school for a long time, and also we are being patriotic because we don’t also want to disrupt academic activities. So, they should prevail upon the government to do the needful.

With what you have said, it looks as if you have not written off going on strike completely. If in the next two weeks, the government fails to give you what is tangible, what will be your action?

No, no and no. We will review our stand. If the government out of patriotism thinks that the union can be taken for granted, then we will review our stand, we would go on strike.

What exactly do you want the government to do now?

We want the government to improve on the N10 billion allocated to the three unions. It is skewed against the three unions; it is unfair. If you want peace in the universities, there must be justice, there must be equity. So, we want the government to do that. We also want the government to help the universities in ensuring that COVID-19 protocols are observed because my members are affected mostly. In the laboratories, the students will come for practical, the students would be asked to use one particular equipment over and over again. So, how do you protect the students and our members who are working with them. There should be COVID-19 protocols at the doorstep of every laboratory before you come in, you do hand washing and obey all those rules. So, we ask the government to please help the universities to do that and ask the university management to please ensure that COVID-19 protocols are observed.

Specifically, how much are you asking the government to add to the N10 billion released to the three non-academic unions?

We already told the government. The earned allowance being owed our members is N71 billion; my union and members alone because why ASUU has been paid up to 2016, our own members are struggling to be paid up to 2012. In most universities, our members are being owed up to 2011. So, we have also demanded that 50 per cent of what is being owed to our members should be paid to us, which translates to N35 billion.

The federal government has revealed its plans to build state-of-the-art digital schools and facilities for learning across the country.

The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Hamid Bobboyi, disclosed this during the commissioning of Basic Education projects at the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State.

In a statement signed by its Head of Communications, Mr. David Apeh, the executive secretary added that a digital resource centre is also being constructed in Abuja to coordinate digital learning in the basic education sub-sector.

When completed, he stressed that the facilities would put the sub-sector on the digital map of the world.

According to Bobboyi, “Basic education as you are aware is the foundation upon which our education is built. If this pillar is weak, then all other tiers cannot stand.”

He explained that UBEC has tried in the last four years to work with all stakeholders in the education sector to begin to change the narrative of basic education delivery in the country.

Commenting on the partnership with the Federal University, Dutse, he said it represents a strategic engagement which would yield mutual benefit to both FUD and UBEC and would help to reinforce and strengthen the basic education sub-sector in Nigeria.

Childhood Care Development and Education (ECCDE) Centre in the university.

She said while the facility provides easy access to basic education for many, within and outside the university, it will serve as a demonstration school and a centre of excellence which shall impact positively on the development of basic education in Jigawa State.

The Federal has revealed its plan to replace the Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) with the National Identity Numbers (NIN).

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Dr Isa Pantami, who disclosed this to newsmen shortly after a tour of telecoms operators and NIN licensees in Abuja, said President Muhammadu Buhari has been briefed on the on-going NIN registrations.

Pantami who said the President was happy with the conducts of the exercise so far, added he had also briefed the National Economic Sustainability Committee headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on the imperative of replacing BVN with NIN.

Pantami argued that while BVN was only for accounts holders with various banks, the National Identity Numbers are for all Nigerians irrespective of their status.

To ascertain the smooth registration of Nigerians, the Minister visited the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) registration Centre in Gwarinpa, the Zonal Headquarters of MTN, Glo Mobile and Airtel in Maitama as well as a Private operator, OMNL, Nigeria.

Accompanied by the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof Garba Danbatta; Director-General General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Engr Aliyu Aziz, the Minister said he was impressed by the strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols at all the registration centres.

Responding to challenges encountered by those with the BVN data trying to upgrade with NIN data, Pantami said:” The challenge is that the BVN records may not be 100 percent the same with NIN but what is most important is that the NIN is the primary identity of each and every citizen, including legal residents.

“BVN is a policy of a bank and has not been established by law, NIN is the only mandatory number and the primary identification of our citizens and every other identification is secondary.

“The NIMC Act 2007 provides that all our citizens must be enrolled and the law gives them 60 days to enroll from the time the law was enacted and a maximum of 180 days and all permanent residents in the country and legal residents that have to stay here for a minimum of 24 months must be enrolled.

“So this is the primary identification of all and all other data bases are supposed to utilize this and not for NIN to utilize the BVN because it is the primary one.

“We discussed with the CBN Governor today on how to ensure that all our citizens with BVN will immediately be provided with the NIN. We are working on that but facilitating the process lies on CBN to make it much easier for our people.”

Asked to clarify government position on the BVN replacement with NIN, Pantami said:” I made a presentation to National Economic Sustainability Committee and I drew the attention of CBN Governor that we need to replace BVN with NIN because the BVN is a bank policy while NIN is a law.

“Because it has been established by law so the strength of the law wherever you go is not the same with a policy of one institution.

“Also, BVN is only applicable to those who have bank accounts but NIN is for every citizen and legal residents in the country. BVN is our secondary database while NIN and the database is the primary one in the country that each and every institution should make reference to NIMC.”

Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde has reacted to the news making the rounds on social media that he is set to dump his party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Makinde let this out through his Chief Press secretary, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, on Monday, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Adisa described the unfounded story as “a concocted falsehood from purveyors of fake news, who are bent on maligning the governor at all cost.”

He maintained that contrary to the fake news report, which was published by the Daily Post, Governor Makinde has no plan to join any other party.

According to him, the governor has remained a strong pillar of the party for many years and is already leading the mission for its resurgence in the South-West.

Adisa stated that the report in question raised all the red flags of fake news, as it was based on unverifiable claims from an unnamed source, adding that if the journalist and the editors of the medium had done due diligence, such falsehood would not have found its way into the public sphere.

The media aide added that attempt to launch the concocted story shortly after some media outfits had tried to exaggerate the governor’s exit from a WhatsApp platform that purportedly belongs to the PDP, is negatively ingenious.

He added that the publication is a clear signal that the war being waged against the Makinde Administration through fake news and false alarms is showing no sign of abating.

Adisa said: “There is a concocted lie doing the rounds about Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State planning to dump the PDP.

“This is the latest in the rounds of false reports and fake news, weapons which some individuals have employed to wage needless war against the governor.

“It becomes imperative to attack the hydra-headed monster of fake news and false reports and this particular report raised all the red flags of fake news, as it was based on alleged hints from an individual who claimed not to want his name in print.

“The noble profession of journalism dictates that if a party makes insinuations about another party, the second party’s response should be sought. The reporter in question had access to the media unit of the governor but he chose to fly with the falsehood.

“This is the kind of story that would have had its place in the dust bins if the reporter and editors of the medium did due diligence on it.

“However, knowing that there is an agenda by some people to derail the Makinde Administration with fake news, it is clear that any news no matter how false or unverified, will be allowed to scale through the gate-keepers in the media, some of who are their allies.”

The statement maintained that apart from the governor not contemplating joining ADC or any other party for that matter, he would also not be distracted by the ridiculous lies being circulated by the enemies within and without.

“But we need to make something clear: no matter the amount of falsehood through fake news and false alarms, Governor Makinde will continue to remain focused on the mandate of developing Oyo State.

“If the purveyors of fake news and unscrupulous elements seeking to derail the administration think that their actions will slow down the governor in his determined pace to develop Oyo State, then they should have a rethink,” the statement concluded.

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, Lagos State University, LASU, chapter on Monday shut down the institution over the failure of the state government to pay them the arrears of the new minimum wage.

All the gates leading to the main campus of the school in Ojo, Lagos was closed, and no vehicle allowed to go in.

The situation also led to students and other visitors not being able to enter the campus.

The state government is owing to the workers 18 months arrears of the new minimum wage.

Recall that it was only when the workers went on strike last October that the government agreed to the payment of the new minimum wage to them.

The government began the payment last September, it owed them 18 months arrears and promised to pay that in phases.

When the government reneged on its promise, the workers last month issued a notice of the strike, but the government quickly promised to start paying from January 18, 2021.

The workers then also agitated for the payment of the End of the Year Bonus which has been paid.

However, the government failed to pay the arrears, leading to the workers embarking on the latest move.

Speaking on the development, the Coordinator, Centre for Information Press and Public Relations, CIPPR, Mr Ademola Adekoya, expressed optimism that the government would soon resolve the issue.

Some issues the national body of the unions are agitating for like the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, IPPIS, and Earned Allowance do not concern them at LASU.