NEWS

NEWS ACROSS NIGERIA

TIMETABLE FOR 2019 ELECTIONS OUT, ACCEPTED BY ALL PARTIES

The Independent National Electoral Commission has released the next Presidential and National Assembly election for February 16, 2019 and two weeks later for governorship and state assembly elections. The communique as released by the Deputy Chairman of the inter-party consultative assembly, Dr. Breakforth Onwubuya who said the political parties had agreed with the commission on the set dates for the election because what was done was the right thing. As well, the meeting was also said to have accepted the plan by the commission to commence nationwide continuous voters’ registration exercise. The parties also promised to eschew violence during the elections and give the requisite support to the commission in the prosecution of electoral offenders.

DINO MELAIYE: VC ABU DECLARES HE HAS 3RD CLASS HONOURS

On the controversy and uproar trailing the certificate authenticity of the Kogi senator; Dino Melaiye, the Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University has cleared the air that the senator of the federal republic of Nigeira from Kogi state graduated with B.A in Geography with 3rd Class honours. There have been rumours flying in the air over the past few days questioning the validity of the claims that the Senator graduated from the said University.

CYNTHIA KILLERS EVENTUALLY SERVED CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

The killer of the Facebook lover Cynthia who was 26 years old as at the time of her murder had been eventually served a 14 year jail term and an eventual death by hanging. It should be brought to our remembrance that Cynthia was cajoled by her Facebook lovers cum murderers to meet them in a hotel in Lagos where she was brutally assaulted, robbed and gruesomely murdered. The long arm of the law eventually caught up with them after a verdict in a Lagos court.

LAUTECH ASUU TO GO ON STRIKE AGAIN

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology chapter, warns of an imminent strike again. It would be recalled that the ASUU LAUTECH which resumed not long ago from about 8 months industrial action, did so as a result of the promise from the Oyo and Osun States governments to pay 500 million naira to them. However, according to reports from the meeting of the ASUU leaders which was held last weekend in the citadel of learning, the governments of both states have not been able to totally live up to their promise and as such will result to the members of the union resume their suspended industrial action once again. Currently, the students of LAUTECH are writing their end of semester exams which really ought to have been written about 7 months ago.   

NEWS ACROSS UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN

NASU STRIKE ENTERS WEEK 3

Either regular or irregular, the industrial action of the members of the Non-Academic Staff union of Universities; NASU, University of Ibadan chapter has entered its 3rd week. The strike which started on Monday, 13th of March has been rocking the boat of academic and other activities in the University of Ibadan. Despite claims that the academic calendar will not be reviewed according to the school management, the flow of academic activities have not been smooth. Some faculties and departments in the university are holding lectures while some are not. Closure of school gates have been making it difficult for lecturers and students alike to get to the lecture rooms as at when appropriate according to their lecture timetable. Another side to the strike is the welfare of those residing in the various halls of residence, which is really debilitating and subjected to hardship. Getting water and light has become a very great problem to the residents of most halls and the fact that they have to cope with the lectures going on haphazardly makes the situation worse. Rumours have it that the major reason for the strike is based on the reduction in salary and the unpaid allowances which have accumulated over a long period of time.   

ASUU RUMOURS STRIKE

While in the University of Ibadan, there is a battle ongoing with the industrial action of the NASU, rumours are being peddled among lecturers and other staff of the University that the members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, UI chapter are also bracing up for an impending industrial action. Some gossips also bear that the strike might not be locally embarked on only as the quest of the members seems to be a national interest which depicts that the national body of the union might be embarking on the industrial action as well. Though there is no authentic claim to prove the validity, the rumours bear that the strike might commence on Wednesday, 29th of March 2017.

FACULTY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE TO HOLD 47TH INDUCTION

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan has put plans in top gear to hold her induction ceremony on Thursday, 30th of March, 2017. It should be noted that the induction will be the 47th one to be carried out by the Faculty. There are a lot of uncertainties surrounding the ceremony based on the current situation of the school but talking with the Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, VNO gathered that plans are already put in place to appeal to the union leaders to allow entry of inductees and their families along with other dignitaries invited for the ceremony. As well, the Sub Dean, while speaking about the forthcoming program cleared that the Faculty has a backup plan for the day to turn out reality despite the apparent odds, even though they are optimistic that the NASU strike will be called off before then. However, it was obvious from the findings of VNO correspondents from both ends that the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan is not going back in inducting 62 graduands into the Veterinary Profession come Thursday 30th of March, 2017.

GENDER MAINSTREAMING OFFICE HELD SENSITIZATION PROGRAM

The Gender Mainstreaming Office, University of Ibadan, held her sensitization and awareness program on Monday 27th of March, 2017 at the Trenchard Hall University of Ibadan. The main focus of the programme was on the theme: Gender and Youth Participation: A Panacea to Sustainable Development in Nigeria. The Guest speaker; Prince Godwill Edward; Special Adviser to the Governor of Cross River State on Youth Development, emphasized on the fact that youths must be ready to put themselves in leadership position by making initiatives that will place them in limelight and put them ahead of others rather than wait for people to place them in the position. He furthered that for development to come, youth must participate in all societal functions particularly issues of political importance as the period of saying youth are the leaders of tomorrow is gone while the trending era is that youth are the leaders of today. There was a large turnout at the event with over 350 participants in attendance which include lecturers, students of the University and Secondary School students particularly from the International School Ibadan. As well, the Gender Mainstreaming Club which is a voluntary organization established by the Gender Mainstreaming Office was brought into awareness for those willing to join and participate in her activities. The Gender Mainstreaming office is a body established under the Vice Chancellor’s office to see to issues of Gender equality and Sexual Harassment Policy in the University while the Gender Mainstreaming Club is the student arm of the office.     

Compiled by Elyon