News

CONUA Begs Tinubu To Alleviate Hardship

Published

2 months ago

July 15, 2024

The Congress of University Academics has urged President Bola Tinubu to expedite action on policies to alleviate the hardships caused by the removal of the oil subsidy and the floating of the naira.

In a communique released after the CONUA National Executive Committee meeting held at the University of Benin from July 12 to 14, the association’s National President, Niyi Sunmonu, urged the President to announce a commensurate minimum wage to cushion the effects of the policies.

The CONUA president also emphasized the importance of addressing the welfare of its members, criticising the withholding of three and a half months’ salary due to a strike action undertaken by a sister association.

He said, “The NEC reviewed the state of the nation and noted the excruciating pains Nigerians have been going through as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy since May 29 2023 and the subsequent policy of floating the naira.

“The union further notes that President Bola Tinubu has assured the nation that a series of measures are being put in place to alleviate the suffering of the people.

“We urge the President to expedite action on those measures, particularly the announcement of a commensurate minimum wage and other measures that will cushion the effect of this untold hardship being currently experienced by the citizens.

“The continued withholding of the three and a half months salary of members of CONUA due to the strike action embarked upon by a sister academic staff union in the Universities is rather unfair. CONUA, as a union, has consistently maintained that it never declared and was not part of the strike action.”

He added that, “What the government has done was to lump together those who embarked on strike with those who did not! This is unjust and is tantamount to punishing the innocent along with the guilty. Through its unwarranted punishment of CONUA members, the government is inadvertently promoting the use of strikes as means of pursuing workers’ demands.

“CONUA-NEC therefore notes with apprehension that failure to process and pay these outstanding salaries could throw the universities into serious crises and jeopardize the peace currently being enjoyed.”

The CONUA president also called on the government to address promotion arrears spanning seven years for some academic staff.

He noted that arrears of Earned Academic Allowance for 10 sessions were owed, with payments made only for 2013, 2017, 2019, and 2022.

He further stated, “It was discovered that when the payment of the four months (March, April, May, and June 2022) salaries out of the seven and a half months of pay withheld by the government as a result of the strike action embarked upon by the other union was paid, through the Presidential prerogative, the third-party deductions were not released and up till now they have not. Information on its whereabouts and when it would be released was not provided by the Federal Government.

“The NEC is demanding, unequivocally, that the agencies of government involved be directed immediately to release these third-party remittances, without further delay.

“The 2014 Pension Act was intended to stop the humiliation and misery of pensioners who characteristically had problems with getting their pension entitlements years after retirement.

Retirees under the 2014 act therefore looked forward to timeous payment of their entitlements upon the conclusion of necessary documentation. The FG has failed to pay pension entitlements for over one year after retirement.”

Sunmonu also called on the Minister of Education to facilitate the inclusion of CONUA in all TETFUND programs and committee compositions involving academic unions, describing the present situation as discriminatory.

The union also drew the attention of the Ministers of Education as well as Labour and Employment to the remuneration of academics, which has remained stagnant since 2009 despite the steady rise in the cost of living.

While criticising the recent hike in electricity tariffs, CONUA argued that universities should be granted special status regarding these tariffs because they are not income-generating institutions. In the short term, and in the long term, the Federal Government should work with relevant university departments to generate electricity.

CONUA also condemned the Federal Government’s proposal to hand over universities to investors, noting that the move would cripple the universities.

News

Nigeria’s Rail Transport Generated N1.69bn In Q2 -NBS report

Published

1 day ago

September 20, 2024

The Tide

The Nigerian rail system generated N1.69billionn in revenue from passengers in the second quarter of 2024, reflecting a 53.14 per cent increase compared to the N1.10billion recorded in the same period of 2023.
This data was disclosed by the National Bureau of Statistics in its report released yesterday.
According to the report, a total of 689,263 passengers travelled by rail in Q2, representing a growth rate of 45.38 per cent compared to 474,117 passengers in the corresponding quarter of 2023.
The volume of goods transported via rail also saw a significant increase, with 143,759 tons moved in Q2 2024, up from 56,936 tons in Q2 2023. Additionally, the Nigerian Railway Corporation reported a volume of 5,940 tons of goods transported through pipelines in Q2 2024, an increase from the 2,856 tons recorded in the same period of the previous year.
Revenue from goods conveyed via rail stood at N537.36m in Q2 2024, a remarkable increase of 206.68 per cent compared to N175.22m in Q2 2023. The movement of goods through pipelines also contributed to revenue generation, with N42.08m collected in Q2 2024, compared to N12.81million in Q2 2023.
Other revenue receipts amounted to N994.68million in Q2 2024, representing a staggering increase of 5,206.68 per cent from the N18.74m recorded in the corresponding period of last year.
In the first quarter, of 2024, The Tide source reported that Nigeria spent more on servicing the debt incurred for building its railways than the revenue generated by its railway system. The country spent 2,470 per cent more on railway debt servicing than it made from revenue from rail services in the first quarter of 2024.

News

NDDC Unveils Initiative To Enhance Food Security In N’Delta

Published

1 day ago

September 20, 2024

The Tide

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says it is committed to advancing projects and programmes that enhance food security and sustainable growth in the region.
Chief Monday Igbuya, the Delta State representative on the NDDC Board, made this pledge in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, yesterday by the NDDC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama.
Igbuya spoke at the inauguration of a training and empowerment programme for women and youths in livestock and agro processing in Amukpe, Sapele area of Delta.
He stated that the NDDC was prioritising livestock training in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“NDDC is focussed on implementing programmes to ensure food security and agricultural growth in multi sectors, aiming to improve living standards.
“It is our belief that for socio-economic development to take place, there is need to develop manpower in the agricultural sector,” he said.
Igbuya expressed confidence that training farmers would enhance livestock production, create jobs, and alleviate poverty in the Niger Delta.
Mrs Winifred Madume, NDDC Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, said that training farmers and entrepreneurs was essential for improving productivity and market access.
“The commission has been promoting research and development through various institutions and providing farming techniques to beneficiaries,” she said.
The Project Consultant, Dr Simon Akhaine, said that 200 women and youths had registered for the livestock and agro-business skill acquisition programme.
According to him, the programme aims to equip them with the essential knowledge and skills for self-sufficiency in livestock farming, thereby boosting regional food security.

News

Tinubu Shelves UNGA79 Trip To Address National Challenges

Published

1 day ago

September 20, 2024

The Tide

President Bola Tinubu will not attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this year.
In his stead, Vice President Kashim Shettima will lead Nigeria’s delegation to the annual summit.
Tinubu “wants to focus on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding,” a statement from the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, revealed yesterday.
The statement is titled ‘Vice President Shettima to Lead Nigeria’s Delegation to the 79th United Nations General Assembly.’
It reads, “President Bola Tinubu will not attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this year.
“Therefore, the President has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation.”
Tinubu, who returned to the country last Sunday after his trips to China and the United Kingdom, “wants to focus on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding,” said Onanuga.
At UNGA 79, Vice President Shettima will deliver Nigeria’s national statement to the General Assembly, attend important sideline events, and hold bilateral meetings.
The high-level General Debate, with the theme “Leaving No One Behind: Acting Together for the Advancement of Peace, Sustainable Development, and Human Dignity for Present and Future Generations,” will run from Tuesday, September 24, through Saturday, September 28, 2024.