All Posts in "Makinde"

Threat: ASUU LAUTECH Dares Makinde, Asks Members To Continue Strike

 

The Ladoke Akintola University Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has asked its members to continue the ongoing industrial action in the institution.

ASUU said that her members have resolved to forge ahead with the strike and pursue it to a logical conclusion which “is imminent”.

The union in a release jointly signed by the Chairman and Secretary Professors Biodun Olaniran and Toyin Abegunrin after their Congress reacted to the threat by the State Governor Seyi Makinde’s threat to stop payment of subvention until lecturers returned to classroom.

According to the union,the government should not see himself or student as target of the strike but as beneficiaries of ASUU strike as the intervention of most state governments in terms of subvention has been used as part-payment of salaries.

The union expressed shock is shocked to hear from the Commissioner of Education during his appearance on a radio station recently said that the state has been paying 100percent subvention contrary to when the University administration’s claim that only 55percent subvention comes from government and the balance of 45percent is sought by the university through Internally Generated Revenue (IGR)

The ASUU leaders stated that the Commissioner’s claim on subvention has created further distrust between the management and the Unions as to who is saying the truth and who is not.

The union claimed that the responsibilities of capital projects has been totally abdicated and surrendered to TETFUND and NEEDS assess projects of ASUU’s struggles.

They further noted that lecturers are very sensitive to the plight of the students but that the government should thank the Union for the struggle which have helped in training its members in human capacity Development through TETFUND grants.

They added :”The congress of ASUU, LAUTECH Branch was held on Tuesday, 07/06/2022. The congress deliberated extensively on the press interview granted to the Honourable Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology by Fresh FM on Saturday 28th of May, 2022 and His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde by BCOS on Saturday, 4th June, 2022, respectively. In the interview, the Honourable Commissioner stated that LAUTECH has been receiving full subvention.

“This position is at variant with the submission of the university administration, that only about 55% of the subvention is provided by the government while the remaining 45% is sought by the university via Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Our union is in darkness of the true situation of things.

Ordinarily, IGR is expected to be used to defray arrears of various allowance owed the workers by the university, but rather, the university administration attributed its inability to defray these outstanding arrears to it having to augment salary with as much as 45% of the monthly subvention to the university. However, the claim by the Honourable Commissioner has further worsened the distrust of our union on the sincerity of the university administration, believing that welfare of our members is being toyed with (with a political game).

“In the interview conducted by the BCOS, His Excellency stated that the lecturers are insensitive to the plight of the students otherwise; the academic workers of the branch would not have joined the strike. We wish to state here categorically, as we have always done that the strike is not targeted any individual or group of individuals or the government of the state.

“The strike is not about Federal or State universities but purely about the University System in Nigeria. The university system is one (as regulated the National University Commission). ASUU too is one. There is only one Chatter of ASUU with several Branches including LAUTECH Branch. Virtually all public tertiary institutions particularly public universities are beneficiaries of ASUU’ struggles in Nigeria. Currently, the responsibility of most state governments in Nigeria to the state-owned universities is limited to part-payment of monthly salaries.

“The responsibilities of capital projects has been completely abdicated and surrendered to Tetfund and Needs Assessments Project of ASUU’s struggles. An inventory of buildings, laboratories and workshops equipment in all public universities will confirm this! In recent times, all branches that break ASUU’s strikes have been made to forfeit the benefit/proceed of the ASUU’s struggle.”

admin by — June 9, 2022 in Labour/Human Resources 0
We’ll Keep Oyo Safe – Makinde

Oyo State Governor, ’Seyi Makinde, has restated the commitment of his administration to keep the state safe and secured.

He gave the commitment while receiving the Association of Retired Officers of the Department of State Services of Nigeria (Oyo State Chapter), led by its Chairman, Alhaji Lateef Akinola.

His administration,he said,will continue to strengthen the security architecture in the state.

The current administration would involve the retired officers of the Department of State Service, (DSS) with a view to improving the state security apparatus,he said in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary Mr. Taiwo Adisa.

He said: “I will like to say that I am not surprised when the chairman was making his speech and he said this association actually started from Oyo State. It is for that same reason Oyo State is known as a pacesetter state. It is not just the association, even Federal Road Safety Corps started from here, and that is why we don’t shy away from taking the bull by the horns.

“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, I was at the States’ Economic Council meeting where they said everybody should mandatorily lock down their states. But we know that for us in Oyo State, a lot of our people will eat from the profit of what they are able to sell today. We backed it up with science, logic, and data and could not lock down the state. Later, they moved from mandatory to voluntary lockdown. “Eventually, the Federal Government copied our idea.

The governor, while appreciating the serving officers and men of the Department of State Services for their cooperation, added that his government would not relent in its efforts at providing adequate support for its smooth operation in the state.

The governor explained that the Western Nigerian Security Network, code-named Amotekun, has been acting professionally and protecting everybody in the State, adding that the Amotekun will continue to go against criminals in the state.

“When we formed Amotekun, a lot of people thought it was an ethnic agenda. They have been in operation for over a year. “They have been acting professionally and protecting everybody in Oyo State. The people we are after are the criminals and we will continue to go after and deal with them.

“We will also continue to strengthen the security architecture in Oyo State. And for me, this is a good opportunity to have another sort of security operatives and another side of thinking on how we do things in Oyo State. You should be assured of our support”

Earlier, the Chairman, of the Association, Alhaji Lateef Akinola, commended the governor for his unique approach to the issue of security and taking care of their welfare, adding that the association is ready to support and cooperate with his administration.

Meanwhile, the governor has declared that the Pacesetter buses soon to be launched by his administration will provide world-class transport service to the state.

He disclosed this while inspecting the Omi Tuntun luxurious buses at the Pacesetter Transport Service, Eleyele, Ibadan.

He expressed the intent of his administration to ensure that the Pacesetter buses remain at the forefront of the transportation system in Oyo State.

admin by — April 22, 2022 in News 0
Don’t Hand Over GCI To Old Students, Groups Tell Makinde

The Joint Action Front (JAF), Oyo State chapter, Parents Teachers Associations (PTA) of GCI, Centre for Pubic Education, Take It Back Movement and host communities have flayed Governor Seyi Makinde over his plan to handover Government College Ibadan to
the Old Boys Association (GCIOBA).

They described  the plan as an attempt to hand over public property to some individuals and urged the governor  to  halt his decision.

JAF Secretary, Abiodun Bamigboye while addressing journalists described the plan as an attempt by some individuals to take over what belongs to the people of Oyo State and appropriate same as personal property.

Bamigboye explained that such a step is a calculated attempt to give public property to some individuals who see themselves as friends and associates of the current administration in the state.

According to Bamigboye, “This group of people only want to take over what belongs to the people of Oyo State and appropriate it to be their own. There is nothing charitable about this takeover. It is a calculated attempt to give public property to some individuals who see themselves as friends and associates of the government of the day. The attraction to this school could be the large piece of land in a choice environment in the metropolis.

”This whole exercise is nothing but a privatisation agenda and commercialization of education.Handing over schools to old students’ association is a misnomer. How does one hand over what does not belong to someone to him or her? This is unknown to the history of education, especially in the southwestern part of this country and it is alien, particularly to Oyo State.

“This handing over is an admittance of failure of governance by the state government. The Oyo state government is surreptitiously telling the people that it cannot manage public properties. Government College Ibadan is public property.If the old boys’ association is so interested in school ownership and administration, the laws of Nigeria allow them as a body to establish their own schools and run them the way they like. GCI belongs to the people of Oyo State and it should remain as such.

”The Seyi Makinde led administration should make real his promises, to fight corruption, obedience to rule of law and allow social justice for the benefit of the greatest number of people who live in Oyo state. To hand over this school will negate any effort he has made so far in the state.

“We insist that the handing over is a surreptitious way of giving public institutions to private individuals which is a neoliberalist agenda. The JAF, hereby, join well-meaning citizens of Nigeria to condemn this decision in all ramifications and call for a reversal immediately.

Also speaking, Professor Ayoola Akinwole of the Centre for Public Education advised Governor Makinde to rescind his decision in the interest of the public.

admin by — April 21, 2022 in Education 0
Religion Will Not Divide Oyo- Makinde

Oyo State Governor,’ Seyi Makinde on Tuesday, reaffirmed the commitment of his administration to sustaining religious harmony and peaceful coexistence in the state.

He stated this while delivering a keynote address at the 8th annual Omi tuntun Ramadan lecture, held at the Government House Arcade, Agodi, Ibadan.

He maintained   that nobody can divide Oyo State people along religious lines.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor,  Mr. Taiwo Adisa,  indicated that Governor Makinde also denied insinuations that his administration has been unfair to the muslim community in Ogbomoso zone.

The governor maintained that the people of the Oyo state have grown and evolved through a family system that easily blends Muslims with Christians in harmonious coexistence.

He pledged to continually uphold a religiously unbiased Oyo State.

He  recalled that the day the first edition of the Ramadan lecture was held, the current State under ex-Governor Rashidi Ladoja also turned the sod on the Circular Road, but lamented that nine years after, the 110km road remained uncompleted.

“One expects that even the 32km should have been completed, they did not even do 3km including the bridges before we came into office. But we thank God today that Kabiyesi is with us, not even as High Chief but as Olubadan of Ibadanland. Very soon, I am sure we will invite the Olubadan when the road is ready for commissioning,” he said.

He also vowed to provide a conducive atmosphere that will ensure that the masses and politicians cohabit peacefully.

He said: “There are two things I must address so that it won’t look as if we are shying away from those issues.”One of them is the issue of appointments. Some critics said we sidelined Muslims in Ogbomoso. But I want to say that as things stand in Oyo State of today, I am sure that there is nothing that can divide us as far as religion is concerned. If some people think they can achieve division, it is not possible.

“Concerning the Ogbomoso appointment, I tried to go down the memory lane and all the senators we have in the 9th Assembly are Muslims – Kola Balogun from Oyo South; Teslim Folarin from Oyo Central and Fatai Buhari from Oyo North, which I see as the will of God and that of the people.

“In the 8th Senate, the same thing transpired. They were not appointed because they were Muslims but because it was the will of God and the wish of the people of the state.

“So, I want to urge our leaders and clerics to always ask for correct data when some critics come to you with erroneous data.

“On the Hajj pilgrimage, we will send few people to go on the journey.”

In their lectures, the guest lecturers, Alfa Uthmah Sannu Sheu and chairman of pilgrims welfare board (Muslim wing) Professor Sayeed Malik unanimously charged the Governor not to dash the people’s hope, and to ensure he fulfills promises made to the people at all times.

The clerics commended Governor Makinde for embarking on the projects that will bring development to all the nooks and crannies of the state.

admin by — April 20, 2022 in News 0
Abolish N30,000 Borehole Permit,Group Tells Makinde

The National President of Association of Water Well Drilling Rig Owners & Practitioners (AWDROP), Engr. Michael Ale has implored  Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde to abolish N30,000 permit on borehole drilling in the state.
Ale,who conveyed  this in a statement, noted that government oughtb to make decision that will  potable water for the citizenry and  guarantee them affordable standard of living.
According to him, the cost of diesel has gone up by two hundred percent which had affected the cost of drilling boreholes and many Nigerian without access to safe drinking water had increased to seventy percent as against fifty five percent in 2020.
He said: “The disparaging scenario is mind boggling because so many subnational had abandoned water projects at the expense of road and other physical infrastructures which looks better and more acceptable to people. Several Nigerians are left to their faith when it comes to water supply, especially the good people of Oyo State in the South Western part of the country.
“The unfortunate scenario is the issue of taxes and the levies on citizen before they can access the natural resources graciously given by God, because government had failed in their responsibility to provide pipe borne water system.
“When permits are made by the law,  they are made to serve as an instrument for safety and not for financial inducement. The Oyo State Ministry of Environment and Natural resources through the respective consultant have perfected a means to make life unbearable for the citizen through their draconian law, which speculated that before anybody can draw water from underground through borehole drilling, a sum of N30,000 must be coughed out, this is outrageous and will make life unbearable for the good people of the state.
” Even in states where regulations works by the establishment of agency, nobody charges that amount of money in this hard time, this is a call to the Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde to temper justice with mercy and withdraw such law if it has been passed and or made public or reduce the amount drastically especially to citizen whose salary is just a take home and cannot even drill a well not to talk of borehole.
“Oyo State has the highest number of drilling rigs hence the need to regulate drilling operation is acceptable but this law should not be seen as a means of making money for the government at all cost.  Yes the government is looking for a mean of increasing revenue which is a welcome development, nevertheless, we cannot at the expense of many people whose life may be threatened, deprive them of their right”
admin by — April 1, 2022 in News 0