ASUU cautions Labour minister, Chris Ngige, over blackmail on strike

• Group condemns JAMB’s cut-off marks for 2018 admission
• 15-year-old Ikeoluwa Abioye solicits support to achieve academic goal

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned the Minister for Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, not to embark on cheap blackmail over the ongoing strike embarked upon by the union.

The University of Ibadan (UI) ASUU Chapter Chairman, Dr. Deji Omole, who condemned the tactic employed by the Federal Government over the demands of the union, said it was deceitful for the minister to insinuate that the N23 billion earned allowances, which the Federal Government promised to pay soon, were only for lecturers.

He stated that the said earned allowances were for both deserving academic and non-academic members of staff, stressing that it was too early for Ngige to embark on cheap blackmail.

Omole said that the union was more interested in enduring legacies, which would reposition public education in the country through adequate funding of public education, which the present government had been silent about.

Also, President of the union, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, has asked his members to disregard the comment by the minister that the strike is illegal.

He said: “Our national struggle to revitalise the Nigerian university system is comprehensive and total. Remain resolute and steadfast as victory is certain.”

In another development, the Unified Nigerian Youth Forum has cautioned the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) against lowering qualification entry mark, saying that such will result to admitting unqualified candidates into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

In statement signed by its President, Abdulsalam Muhammad Kazeem, the forum said: “We reject in totality the pronouncement of the cut-off mark for 2017/2018 academic session by JAMB registrar.

“120/100 marks for universities and polytechnic as cut-off marks out of 400 marks further shows the level of decay in our educational system. With this development, we are sure that the level of un-seriousness will increase from 20 per cent to 78 per cent.

“Lowering the qualification entry mark to our institutions is not in tandem with new global realities, in terms of educational standard as it will lead to the admission of unqualified candidates into our tertiary institutions, and it further shows that Nigeria does no give regards to excellence.

In another development, a 15-year-old Ikeoluwa Abioye, who scored A1 in all the nine subjects she wrote in the 2017 May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), has appealed to Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola and other good-spirited Nigerians to support and help her achieve her academic goals.

Abioye, an indigene of Irepodun Local Council of Osun State, who was yesterday celebrated and honoured by her alma mater, Starfield Schools, Iju, Lagos, for scoring A1 in all the nine subjects, also scored 305 in the last Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

The candidate, in a chat with The Guardian, said her school’s competitive learning environment, father’s routine mentoring and personal target, launched her to spotlight.

She said, if sponsored, she would love to go to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) or Harvard University to study Computer Engineering.