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EXCLUSIVE: Three Major News That Shocked Nigerians On Valentine’s Day

Published

3 years ago

Feb 15, 2022.

The below are three major news that shocked Nigerians on Valentine’s Day.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that there are three major news that shocked Nigerians on February 14th, 2022, Valentine’s day.

1. NDLEA Declares Abba Kyari Wanted

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Monday declared suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, wanted over alleged links with an international drug cartel.

The spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, made the announcement during a short press conference held at its Headquarters.

The decision came amidst the Hushpuppi scandal.

Kyari, until his suspension by the commission, was the officer-in-charge of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team.

A report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States of America had earlier indicted him in the case of fraud involving Instagram celebrity, Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi.

2. ASUU Declares Nationwide Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has declared a “comprehensive and total” strike.

The strike was declared at a press conference addressed by the President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, on Monday.

He said the strike, which takes effect from Monday, February 14, 2022, would last for an initial period of four weeks.

According to him, the union tried to avoid the strike but the Federal Government was unresponsive to the union’s demands.

The ASUU chairman also said ASUU NEC faulted the creation of new universities.

He said, “NEC resolved to embark on the four-week roll-over total and comprehensive strike as the government has failed to implement the Memorandum of Action it signed with the ASUU in December 2020.

“We invite all lovers of education to join our struggle for a greater Nigeria. Nigerian politicians keep proliferating educational institutions without prioritising education.

“ASUU will not relent in its historic responsibility of advocating an improved university system.

“This is because it holds the key to our collective prosperity and better future for our children and our children’s children; so, let us work together to fix it.”

Osodeke asked the Federal Government to caution the Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, over the unpaid Earned Academic Allowances of its members in the university.

“We have an agreed template with the Federal Government but the VC refused to pay. Failure to pay using that template is a misappropriation. He should be cautioned,” the ASUU president said.

Members of the union’s National Executive Council had held marathon meetings since Saturday at the University of Lagos titled, ‘NEC for NEC.’

ASUU had sensitised and mobilised lecturers and students across all universities to the reason the union might likely go on strike.

The union had expressed grievances over the failure of the Federal Government to fulfil some of the agreements it made as far back as 2009. ASUU had on November 15, 2021, given the Federal Government a three-week ultimatum over the failure to meet the demands.

The lecturers threatened to embark on another round of industrial action following alleged “government’s unfaithfulness” in the implementation of the Memorandum of Action it signed with the union, leading to the suspension of the 2020 strike action.

After the union’s National Executive Council meeting at the University of Abuja on November 13 and 14, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, lamented that despite meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, on October 14, 2021, on issues, including funding for revitalisation of public universities, earned academic allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution; promotion arrears, renegotiation of 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, and the inconsistencies in Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System Payment, none of its demands had been met.

Following the threat, the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, promised that the union would be paid.

A few weeks after, ASUU suspended the planned strike, as N22.1 billion earned allowances were paid to lecturers in federal universities.

On the heels of the union’s renewed agitations, the co-chairmen of the National Inter-religious Council, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar III, and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Dr. Samson Ayokunle, visited the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), last month, over the lack of implementation of the Memorandum of Action the government signed with ASUU in 2009 and others.

3. ASUU Declares Pantami’s Professorship Illegal, To Sanction FUTO VC, Others

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has faulted the promotion of Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Pantami, as a professor.

The union after its National Executive Council meeting declared the promotion as “illegal”.

This was declared at a press conference addressed by the President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, on Monday.

He said, “You cannot be a minister and a lecturer in a university. It is an encouragement of illegality.

“Pantami has to quit as a minister and be tried for doing double jobs within the same federal system. He is not qualified. Pantami should not be treated as a professor.”

In September 2021, Pantami, alongside seven academics were elevated by the council of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri to the position of professorship at the council’s 186th meeting.

The minister’s elevation has generated controversy, with many faulting FUTO on the promotion of the minister, who was not teaching in the university and whose highest academic attainment was reportedly a lecturer before he ventured into politics.

“We have resolved to sanction ASUU members involved in his promotion and the VC of FUTO,” he added.

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