Strike has not ended – ASUU

 

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has denied the report that it suspended its seven-month old ongoing strike, after meeting Federal Government on Thursday.

According to the union, the said report is a blatant falsehood.

The union said its negotiations with the federal government officials over all their differences with a view to finding a workable solution for normalcy to return to the nation’s public university were still ongoing in Abuja, the federal capital territory.

In addition, the union said reports on social media platforms that the Federal Government had released N30 billion for Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) is not also true and therefore should be disregarded by the public.

The Lagos zonal coordinator of ASUU, who is a lecturer at the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Profesor Olusiji Sowande, told Nigerian Tribune that he was not aware of such strike suspension, noting that suspension or calling off of industrial action by ASUU had a procedure.

The chairman of ASUU at University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Dr Dele Ashiru, also said it was only the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union that had the constitutional power to suspend or call off the strike which must also be subjected to the congress.

According to him, the ASUU president had no unilateral power to suspend or call off strike as the occupier of the office was not the one (but the congress) that declared the strike in the first instance.

“So, ASUU is not Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) that goes to meetings and takes decisions that concern all members right at the venue of the meeting without tabling such before the NEC, let alone the congress, “ he stressed.

Ashiru explained further that whatever the Federal Government put on the negotiation table with ASUU representatives at the meeting would still be referred to the congress of the various branches before final decision would be taken.

He said the N30 billion that the federal government said it would pay as earned allowances was a promise due for payment next January.

He said government and the society were not being fair to the lecturers, saying “no professor in Nigeria earns up to N500,000 as salary monthly while a political office holder earns as much as over N10 million monthly.

“So, ASUU strike is still solidly ongoing,” he stressed.

- PM NEWS

End SARS: 37 officers to be sacked, 24 set for prosecution

 

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has penciled down 37 former operatives of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), to be dismissed from service.

PSC will also order the prosecution of 24 other ex-operatives for various acts of professional misconduct.

These were the highlights of the Report of the Presidential Panel on Reform of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad set up by the Federal Government in 2018.

Presenting the report to the PSC Chairman, Musiliu Smith, in Abuja on Friday, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Tony Ojukwu, called for a speedy implementation of the panel recommendations.

A statement by the PSC spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, quoted Ojukwu to have said: “We have come to see a PSC determined to play a leading role in the reform of the Nigeria Police Force.”

It added that “Ojukwu said at the end of the public hearing, the panel recommended 37 police officers for dismissal and 24 were recommended for prosecution.

“The panel also directed the Inspector -General of Police to unravel the identity of 22 officers involved in the violation of the human rights of innocent citizens.”

- DAILY POST

#EndSARS protesters lock down third mainland bridge

 

Young persons protesting against police brutality have partially shut the third mainland bridge in Lagos.

The bridge, which connects the mainland part of the state to the island, is one of the busiest in the country.

Around 5:30pm on Friday, protesters chanting “End SARS!” prevented free flow of traffic on one section of the bridge, leaving people who are returning from work stranded.

As of the time of filing this report, both sections of the bridge, which is undergoing repairs, were blocked.

Blocking major highway across the country is one of the ways the protesters have used to catch the attention of the country.

Although Mohammed Adamu, inspector-general of police, disbanded SARS on the fourth day of the demonstration, protesters have refused to leave the streets.

- THECABLE

Why we created SARS in 1984 – Fulani Kwajafa

 

Fulani Kwajafa, a retired Commissioner of Police, has regretted establishing the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, a unit of the Nigeria Police Force, in 1984.

Fulani expressed his regrets during an interview with BBC Hausa, over the excesses of the unit, notorious for alleged human rights violations.

Activities of SARS operatives have sparked protests across the country for almost two weeks now.

Nigerians are demanding a total scrap of the unit and reformation of the entire police force but Kwajafa said the unit completely derailed from its founding objectives.

He said, “My name is Fulani Kwajafa. I entered the Nigeria Police Force in 1984. Then robbery was prevalent, this was while Buhari was the Head of State,” he said.

According to him, Maj. General Muhammadu Buhari received a lot of complaints that armed robbery and other forms of robbery were on the increase giving the people sleepless nights and him(Kwajafa) and the then Inspector-General of Police, Mr Inyang, said they must do something about it or be fired.

Kwajafa explained that the IGP then mandated him to come up with an idea to rescue the country from thieves, a task he, Kwajafa, accepted.

He said after four months of creating the police unit, peace returned to the country as criminals who were not caught ran, and those who were caught were sent to prison.

“This thing frustrates me, there is no reason why because someone commits a crime that the person should be killed. There are laws and no one will give an order that if you see armed robbers kill the person,” he said.

- DAILY POST

Mourinho shades Arsene Wenger again over his autobiography

 

Jose Mourinho has again thrown a subtle jibe at former Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger. The special one said the French manager did not mention him in his autobiography “because he never beat me”.

Wenger earlier in the week released a new autobiography called, ‘My Life in Red and White’, but the exclusion of his former foe, Mourinho, has not gone unnoticed.

During Mourinho’s weekly press conference when asked why he was not mentioned in the book, the Tottenham boss Mourinho said: “Because he never beat me.

“You are not going to do a chapter about 12 or 14 matches and never winning one.

“So why should he speak about me in his book? A book is a thing to make you happy to make you proud. So I understand perfectly the situation.”

Both managers were bitter rivals while they managed Chelsea and Arsenal respectively. Mourinho, however, always had the upper hand whenever the two were at loggerheads.

- PM NEWS

End SARS: Anonymous confirms hacking CBN, EFCC websites, targets more

 

The websites of the Central Bank of Nigerian (CBN) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have been hacked.

Anonymous, a band of unknown individuals, has claimed responsibility, with a threat to seize control of more government websites.

Earlier on Friday, they took over the Twitter handle of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

The account is still under their control and has grown from 10,000 followers to 22,500.

The group said they support the weak against the powerful and stand for justice.

They listed their values as human rights, autonomy and self-governance, resistance against tyranny, a more humane society.

Anonymous noted that its actions were in support of the End SARS protests.

On Saturday, their handle tweeted about the protest hashtags in Nigeria and other places.

“The fight against impunity and cruelty is global. #WhatIsHappeningInPhilippines
#JusticeForBabyRiver #whatisHappeninginThailand #WhatsHappeningInIndonesia #OmnibusLaw #EndPoliceBrutality #EndSars”, it read.

Anonymous first announced the attacks on state platforms on Thursday, two days after posting a video showing demonstrators.

“#Nigeria: Anonymous hacks multiple government websites in solidarity with #EndSARS protestors and retribution for violence by police. #OpNigeria #EndSARSProtest”, they tweeted.

Confirming the CBN and EFCC hit, they put up messages and screenshots.

“#Nigeria: International hackers & Anonymous continue the cyber campaign against the government to call out corruption, demand police reform, and show solidarity with brave protestors. #OpNigeria #EndSARS #EndPoliceBrutality #ReformTheNigerianPolice.”

“#Anonymous #OpNigeria #EndSARS #EndSARSNow #ENDSARSOPPRESSION. Official website of @officialEFCC has been taken down in support of #EndSARSProtest. You should have expected us! #EndCorruptionInNigeria.”

Now Day 10, protests are continuing in several locations across Nigeria.

The youths insist on total reform of the Police as well as justice and compensation for families of victims of brutality.

- DAILY POST

‘We are sorry’ — Osinbajo finally speaks on #EndSARS

 

There have been calls for the vice-president, who is a professor of law, to speak up on the demand by the youth to end police brutality in Nigeria.

On Friday night, the vice-president apologised to Nigerians for the slow response of the federal government to the issues.

“Dear Nigerians, I know that many of you are angry, and understandably so. We could’ve moved faster and for this we are sorry,” he wrote.

“I fully understand how many young people feel. Many feel that we have been too silent and have simply not done enough. These feelings of frustration are justified.

“There are far too many people who have been brutalised at the hands of the police and this is unacceptable. We must take responsibility for protecting young people, even sometimes from those who are paid to protect them.

“Over the past week, we have been following the protests, and I have had a number of discussions with key people in the administration that you deserve to be informed about. Transparency, after all, is a key tenet of government.”

He said he has held meetings with governors, the executives of the national assembly and other key stakeholders to ensure justice is served fast.

“We understand that you want to see action from us and I’m here to tell you that work is ongoing. I chaired a meeting of 36 state governors and the Minister of the FCT (NEC), where we resolved to set up judicial panels of inquiry so we can see justice served, and fast,” he added.

“The reason being that only state governors, by law, can set up judicial inquiries in their states. The hearings will be public.

“With Mr. President’s approval, SARS has been completely disestablished, and none of its former members will feature in any police tactical units.”

STATES TO SET UP VICTIMS SUPPORT FIND

The vice-president said he is  sending his “deepest condolences to the families of Jimoh Isiaq, and all those who have lost their lives at the hands of wayward police officers. To those injured, I wish a full and speedy recovery”.

“We have proposed that each state government set up a Victims’ Support Fund, which @NigeriaGov will support. This is the least that we can do to compensate for the injustice suffered at the hands of errant officers.

“We also understand that the issues that you’re raising are bigger than just SARS. They’re deep and systemic and we’re undertaking comprehensive measures that will revamp the police by addressing issues of welfare, service conditions and training.”

The #EndSARS protests to address systemic issues of governance in Nigeria has gone on for eight days.

- THECABLE