Actionchris Spotlight Media

  • Home
  • Actionchris Spotlight Media

Actionchris Spotlight Media BREAKING NEWS, ENTERTAINMENTS, EVENTS & GOSSIP

25/09/2023

*THE AKWA IBOM STATE TRADITIONAL RULERS’ COUNCIL (TRC) LAW: SEPARATING FACTS FROM FICTION*

BY: *Celestine Mel*

A faithful friend in the diaspora who takes my opinions seriously, rang me up yesterday, to ask about the raging debate regarding the newly enacted Supreme Traditional Ruler’s Council Law in Akwa Ibom State. It was the first indication to me, that people took the mass hysteria generated by the topic, seriously. I must confess that I pay little attention to matters bordering on the traditional institution in south-east Nigeria. The reason for this is not far-fetched.

As a student of history, I learnt quite early that ‘monarchism’ was non-existent among our forebears until the advent of colonial rule. Rather, villages and hamlets were ruled by republican heads who were chosen from among the eldest. Ekpe and Ekpo were law enforcement institutions. No one person mustered the power to rule over and dominate other families, villages and clans. In contrast, the Hausas, Yoruba’s and Benis had monarchs whose offices were physical symbolism of political and religious authorities. Such monarchs earned their legitimacy and obeisance from their subjects who saw them as representatives of the divine sovereign. They represented ancestors and divinities. Their leadership roles were considered sacred and their authority to rule was preordained and could not be questioned. Their reaches went far and beyond. These institutions date back thousands of years and the holders of such offices are revered by all mortals to this day.

The above contrasts with the latter-day traditional governance institutions in our State, which were mostly created to assist the colonial masters, implement their indirect rule, a pitiable imitation of the success story from the west and the north of Nigeria. Post independence, ‘traditional institutions’ in our state have perpetually struggle to find relevance in a landscape of republicanism. At best, they are revered as the bridge between the past and the present. But because the God we worship forbids adoration to any traditional deity, we constantly see the battle between faith, the place of traditional rulers and the modernity of democracy, as if they are just symbols.

My friend forced me to inquire into the latest ethnic wrangling, by seeking and reading the new law. To my shock and amazement, I feel that some fifth columnists, decided to capitalize on the “hurt-no-one” disposition of Governor Umo Eno, to further a narrow interest and bring the government to disrepute through the new law.

It is true that the Akwa Ibom State Traditional Rulers Council was uncomfortable with the apparent lack of due recognition to members of the council at the national level, as a result of the absence of a first-class monarch among them. To address the situation, the council on its own accord, decided to elevate itself a notch higher. It came up with the idea of a Supreme Traditional Rulers’ Council with a President-General as the supremo, who would be revered like other first class monarchs like the Sultan of Sokoto, Emire of Gwandu, Oba of Benin, Obong of Calabar, etc. This agitation started in the days of Deacon Udom Emmanuel as Governor.

In the build up to the last general elections, Pastor Umo Eno met with the traditional rulers in council. They demanded that the TRC be elevated to a Supreme Council and the laws be amended to accommodate the office of President-General. They also nominated the Oku Ibom Ibibio to be the lifetime keeper of that title. Pastor Umo Eno, being the democrat that he unpretentiously is, accepted their demand and promised that he will give effect to the agitation as soon as he got into government.

When he assumed office, and in keeping with the promise, he liaised with the TRC and got a draft bill which he forwarded to the House of Assembly. The House, activated the process for enacting bills, by subjecting the draft to first and second reading. The House also committed the draft to a committee headed by Hon (Elder) Mfon Idung, an Annang son. The committee staged public hearings, which drew presentations from all and sundry, including the traditional rulers themselves.

During the public hearing, a broad spectrum of respondents faulted the part of the bill which attached the Oku Ibom Ibibio stool to the office of President-General of the Supreme TRC in perpetuity. Rather, it was made manifest and agreed that the office of President-General be kept by the Oku Ibom Ibibio in the first instance, and be rotated to the Annang ethic nationality upon the demise of the Oku Ibom, who would in turn relinquish the office to the Oron nation upon his own demise.

To finalize legislative action on the bill, the Chairman of the Committee made the following submission:
Section 48(1) and (2) “(1) _The Vice President I and II shall be the highest-ranking Chiefs from the other two larger ethnic groups in the state other than that of the President-General of the Council. (2) The Tenure of the President-General shall be for life and on his demise, he shall be succeeded by the Vice President 1, while the Vice President 2 becomes the Vice President 1 in rotational system among the three major ethnic groups in the State”._ The Chairman further prayed the House to accept the bill as recommended and pass into law. This is where things got interesting.

Information at the disposal of yours truly is that active and vocal members of the House, led by Honorable Otobong Bob, who is the Deputy House Leader and Chairman, Works Committee, from Nsit Ubium State Constituency, insisted that the Bill in its original and raw form, be passed without any of the amendments presented by the committee. The Speaker, put the bill to voice vote, and ruled (as usual) that the ayes have it, amid protestations by several members present who felt there was need for the amended clause to be inserted.

Originally, clause 47 which was passed into law, is worded as follows: “(1) _The President General of the Council shall be the Oku Ibom Ibibio, representing the largest ethnic group in the State” (2) The President general Shall be the Supreme Head of the Council and shall superintend over the affairs of the council”._ The amended clause 47 and 48, which the committee presented on plenary, which would have made the office of President-General rotatory upon the demise of the occupant, was discarded and defeated.

I understand the thinking within the opponents of the amendment. After all, the Emir of Kano is always Fulani, even though Kano is populated by different tribes, including the Hausa. Similarly, the Oba of Lagos is always Yoruba, even though Lagos is a melting pot of disparate ethnic groups. Ditto for Oba of Benin who must be a Benin man, even though Edo is a coagulation of several other ethnic nationalities. The same for the Etsu Nupe and the likes. However, the distinguishing feature between traditional rulers in other climes and that of Akwa Ibom is that ours are not passed down from one generation and family to another. There are no blue-blooded monarchs in our State. Everyone of them is an artificial creation for administrative convenience. None passes through a spiritual rite of passage. None represents the deity; the almighty. None is a product of conquest, jihad or warfare. Rather, ours evolved as time passed.

It is my considered opinion that our State is too sophisticated for this level of primordial sentimentalism. Before now, the traditional institution had little role to play in determining our destinies. Occupants of the offices merely luxuriated in their kingdoms and turned a blind eye to the goings-on around about them. If we must create a higher place for them, we need to do it in such a way as not to create unnecessary tension and bad blood among the ethnic groups. Thankfully, the government, through a press statement by the Commissioner for Information, Comrade Ini Ememobong, has indicated a willingness to revisit the vexing issue and correct perceived anomalies. That is the way to go. It is incumbent on the House of Assembly, to quickly reconsider the law and do the needful. As a dyed-in-the-wool supporter of Governor (Pastor) Umo Eno, I urge him to please take a step backwards, listen to reason and act in the overriding interest of the State.

I do not believe that Governor Umo Eno anticipated the firestorm that has erupted from his innocent attempt to satisfy the yearnings of our royal fathers. Chances are, if he knew, he won’t have gotten involved, in view of the plethora of issues that need his attention. But that is leadership in its crudest form. It throws you a curve ball when you least expected. He that I know, will rise to the occasion and get this ironed out.

This brings me to the quest of the otherwise docile opposition, to gain mileage from this little schism. A friend rang me up to complain that the “people at the center” will capitalize on the seeming crisis to route out the PDP in 2027. I laughed off the joke. Because I know that 2027 will be determined by the size, reach and impact of Gov. Umo Eno on the lives of ordinary folks out there, not the sentimentalism of the superiority between Ibibio and other ethnic groups. I am sure, because poverty has no tribal marks. Hunger knows no language. Infrastructure respects no rank or title. The people will vote more for their welfare, than for the innocuous abstractions of the elites, who meet to bicker over nothing, in order to hoodwink the masses to anger. By the time the ARISE agenda finds presence in every Ward, every clan and every hamlet, the temporary clout of the monarchial hoopla would fade into nothingness.

I am with Umo Eno because he is with the people, irrespective of who is the Supremo!

******Celestine Mel* is a chartered banker and IT Specialist. He hails from Essien Udim LGA of Akwa Ibom State. He is Annang by tribe and writes from the FCT-Abuja.

*Follow:*
1. WhatsApp: Mel in His Elements (08088188805)
2. Facebook: @ https://www.facebook.com/owydoho.Idio
3. X:
4. Threads:

23/09/2023

SHOCKING 😳😳😳😳

“ Mohbad wrote 97% of all the songs at Marlian Music “. Wax Dey

“There are lessons to be learnt here from Kemi Olunloyo:

MOHBAD’S MUSIC ESTATE: After my research monitoring streams and the Imolenization CAC search, I discovered that Mohbad as of today is worth N700M roughy around $690,000

Naira Marley owes him N~300M in song royalties😳On my X Spaces I mentioned the top 3 songwriters in Nigeria as Tiwa, Teni and the third person is actually Mohbad. Mohbad wrote almost 97% of all the songs at Marlian music.

Songwriters get royalties and I mentioned as an example when I was a Canadian 🇨🇦Grammy Judge .

Mohbad complained that Naira Marley was holding his royalties and streaming revenues as well as downloads. They pretty much had a BAD BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP. Artist developers are needed in Nigeria. Remove the drugs and cultism and the industry will be super global. As you can see Davido came to represent the brotherhood despite the fact that I warned him not to step in Nigeria. Only the intelligent can understand that part. Nobody speaks against the brotherhood. Most music industry label bosses and the ones at the top have largely been silent. They are all affiliated with the same cult. They can’t speak against Naira Marley.

My suggestion as Mohbad’s estate hits one Billion Naira in days to come is a court appointed probate lawyer to take over his music assets assuming Naira Marley releases the funds. It will be a bitter court fight. He should have taken this to court a long time but people like Zlatan and Bella Shmurda told him to “hang in there.” These devil sent frenemies could have helped him. It’s like a woman being beaten by the husband and relatives tell her to stay in the bad relationship. The toxicity will finally kill you. Drug abuse, hypertension, alcohol etc developed. All his major hits are in Marlian music plus all the songs he wrote for Zinoleesky and Naira all added to that N300M. The rest is from the streams and downloads from:

Spotify
Apple Music
Audiomack
Boomplay
Deezer
Shazam
Napster
iTunes
Google play music
Amazon music etc etc

Meanwhile you’re busy trying to find out WHO killed him instead of WHAT killed him and who gets his estate. His son needs a DNA 🧬 test to establish paternity and if that is fine, all his music assets should be put in a trust fund till he’s 18yo. They will take a DNA 🧬 sample from his dead body. I don’t trust his crocodile teary mom who abandoned him 15yrs, nor his midnight burial dad or the wife. His Imolenization team are the only ones with access to the revenues on his final project “BLESSED” It has blown with huge revenues. Every penny should be transferred to a trust fund.

Know who you’re signing record deals with and terms of the contract. Mohbad wanted to leave and there were rumours that Naira was allegedly trying to make him a drug Lord which he refused to be, but didn’t understand what it meant to break a contract. Shebi we saw a similar thing happen with Davido around 2010 with his first label. His rich dad Deji Adeleke had to BUY out his contract to separate him. I’ve been a music journalist 20 years today September 21st 2003 out of my almost 30 yrs of journalism. Also
a music publicist organizing events and doing PR for many artists like Nicki, Ciara, Sean Kingston, Dija, Wizkid and more in Canada 🇨🇦
Mohbad did not leave a WILL behind. Naira has joined the war on drugs, he got tired and Mohbad is dead.

May his soul rest in peace💔🪦🕊️

CREDIT: Zamani's Blog

Chinua Achebe was a novelist. Wole Soyinka is a playwright. I know most of you didn’t know this, but there is really no ...
13/04/2023

Chinua Achebe was a novelist. Wole Soyinka is a playwright. I know most of you didn’t know this, but there is really no basis for comparison between the two. It’s like comparing Sunny Ade and Oliver De Coque because they are both singers.

Chinua Achebe also deserved the Nobel Prize no doubt, but he never won it. Wole Soyinka won it in 1986. That award has been in existence since 1901. If the award committee wanted to give it to Chinua Achebe, they would have given him the prize long before Soyinka won it in 1986. Achebe died in 2013 - 27 solid years after Soyinka won the prize. The committee still didn’t give him the award; and you are here saying Soyinka “stole” the award that Achebe should have received.

Chinua Achebe himself never lamented not receiving the prize because, believe it or not, the Nobel Prize, or any award for that matter, is not the true measure of achievement for a writer. No African novel has sold more copies and has been translated into as many languages as “Things Fall Apart”.

To measure Achebe’s accomplishments by whether he won the Nobel Prize or not belittles his work and insults his memory.

Incidentally, this same Wole Soyinka wrote in 2013: "This conduct is gross disservice to Chinua Achebe and disrespectful of the life-engrossing occupation known as literature. How did creative valuation descend to such banality? Do these people know what they're doing – they are inscribing Chinua's epitaph in the negative mode of thwarted expectations. I find that disgusting. Was it the Nobel that spurred a young writer, stung by Eurocentric portrayal of African reality, to put pen to paper and produce Things Fall Apart?"

You lot should leave literature alone for those of us who know its true worth, please. You all don’t read anyway. Why the sudden interest in who was a better writer as if you have bought or read any of their books?

Drag prof if you want to drag him, just leave Chinua Achebe’s name out of such frivolous comments, and let the dead continue to rest in peace!

Just Me… THINKING OUT LOUD!

~ Olaitan Adesina

Don't Expect More Notes, Cashless Economy Has Come to Stay, Adapt - Emefiele The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor,...
22/03/2023

Don't Expect More Notes, Cashless Economy Has Come to Stay, Adapt - Emefiele

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele has hinted that Nigerians would have to adapt to the new cashless policy regime.

This he stated on Tuesday during a press briefing in Abuja at the end of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting.

While apologizing for challenges he called 'isolated cases' in the use of the various e-payment platforms, the CBN governor insisted that the cases were being resolved.

Emefiele said the glitches been experienced will soon become a thing of the past.

Roland Mfon, The Teenager Expected To Fly In The Olympic Eagles 🇳🇬🦅Roland Mfon, is a Dakkada FC Right-Wing-Back likened ...
09/03/2023

Roland Mfon, The Teenager Expected To Fly In The Olympic Eagles 🇳🇬🦅

Roland Mfon, is a Dakkada FC Right-Wing-Back likened to the legendary Austin Eguavoen; arguably the best in his position in the NPFL this campaign.

Before securing a move to Dakkada, Mfon was contracted with Sir Monty Football Club, an outfit playing in the amateur division of the Nigeria league

Just 1 year after signing for the NPFL outfit, Mfon has been handed his first call-up to the National Under-23 camp; if he impresses, he may just be going to the AFCON U-23 with the national team squad(if they qualify)

A very big Congratulations

Where u are from can kill your destiny no matter how talented you are.Imagine Kylian Mbappe @24His name is already on th...
23/12/2022

Where u are from can kill your destiny no matter how talented you are.

Imagine Kylian Mbappe @24
His name is already on the world map through football.

Imagine if Mbappe was from Akwa Ibom / Nigeria..

By nw, he would've still be struggling to play Utang Akwa Ibom Unity Cup every Christmas at Four Town Abak Road.

Even Dakkada FC would not even recognize him.

Even for him to play for Akwa United would have been his biggest dream now.
Even after reaching the final stage that will qualified him to play for Akwa United, one of the Akwa United committee member will just come from no where and order him to leave the camp because he is not supporting Umo Eno.

Another thing is connection,,

You may know how to play.. But without connection, my brother.. U go nowhere.

That's why u will see talented ballers roaming in the street, while those without talent are in the national team playing naaaansense, because they were screened and recruit through connection.. Adiòk Tutu, Tueeeeh.

*SENATOR BASSEY ALBERT JAILED 42 YEARS FOR. MONEY LAUNDERING*Albert Bassey, senator representing Akwa Ibom North East at...
01/12/2022

*SENATOR BASSEY ALBERT JAILED 42 YEARS FOR. MONEY LAUNDERING*

Albert Bassey, senator representing Akwa Ibom North East at the National Assembly was on Thursday, December 1, 2022 convicted and sentenced to 42 years imprisonment by Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High, Uyo, Akwa Ibom state. The court found him guilty of six-count of money laundering preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Senator Bassey was prosecuted by the anti-graft agency on allegation of receiving vehicle valued at N204 million as bribe from companies linked to one Olajide Omokore, a contractor who executed a N3billion contract for the Government of Akwa Ibom State whilst Senator Bassey was Commissioner for finance and Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee.

The offence contravenes Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and is punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.

One of the charges against the senator reads, “That you, Albert Bassey, whilst being the Commissioner for Finance, Akwa Ibom State and Chairman of Akwa Ibom State Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee, IMDLCC sometime in December 2012, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly took possession of a vehicle (Infinity QX 56 BP) valued at N45,000,000.00 at the instance of one Olajide Jones Omokore (whose companies had contracts with Akwa Ibom State Government at that material time), when you reasonably ought to have known that the said vehicle formed part of proceed of unlawful activity (to wit: corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act”.

Upon arraignment, the senator pleaded not guilty to the charges setting the stage for his full trial. In the course of trial EFCC called several witnesses and tendered documents that were admitted in evidence as exhibits.

One of the witnesses, Ngunan Kakwagh, an investigator with the EFCC revealed how Olajide Omokore, a contractor, bought vehicles for Senator Albert after receiving N3bn contracts when he was Commissioner for Finance in Akwa Ibom State.

Kakwagh, informed the court that the anti-graft agency traced about N3bn payments from the Akwa Ibom State Government and the Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee, to the accounts of Canwod Dredging Company Limited, Bay Atlantic Limited, Sahel Engineering, Power Nigeria Limited and Network Services Nigeria Limited - all linked to Omokore.

"My team further traced money from Omokore's company account to the account of Skymit Limited, and when we invited Skymit to tell us the reasons for the money, we were told that it was for the purchase of vehicles.

"So, my investigation revealed that the accused, while he was the Commissioner for Finance and Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee, Omokore and his companies received monies from the Akwa Ibom State Government and the IMDLCC.

"Also, Omokore bought cars from Skymit Limited for the accused", the witness added.

The vehicles include Infinity QX 56 BP, valued at N45million; Toyota Land Cruiser V8 BP, valued at N40million; Range Rover, valued at N40million; Toyota Hiace, High Roof, valued at N27million; Toyota Hiace High Roof, valued at N16million and Toyota Hilux 4x4, valued at N36million.

The court on May 5, 2022 closed the case of the defence following the failure of the lead defence counsel, Kanu Agabi to continue the trial of the serving senator.
Delivering judgment today, Justice Okeke held that the court was satisfied that the prosecution had proved the case against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt and convicted him as charged.

Justice Okeke sentenced him to seven years imprisonment on each of the six counts. The judge also ordered the convicted Senator to restitute a total sum of N204million through the EFCC. According to the court, the restitution will be the condition for his release after serving out the jail term.

Media & Publicity
1 December, 2022

https://www.efcc.gov.ng/news/8703-senator-bassey-jailed-42years-for-money-laundering

Copyright © 2022 . All Rights Reserved. EFCC, Powered by Information and Communication Technology - ICT Dept.

22/11/2022

According to Sen Bassey Albert, the total amount of accumulated derivation fund PMB has released to Akwa Ibom State is actually , that is only the recent payment made.

How exactly did we offend Gov Udom Emmanuel??? How did we end up with him??

* Can't he at least have pity the Pensioners crying day and night for their wages??

* Is that money not enough to make Oro Nation a place of destination via infrastructures and actualization of the seaport??

* If PMB has increased the allowance of NYSC from #18,000 to #33,000 and is paying consistently despite the economic times, is not enough to pay Akwa Ibom Students a monthly or even yearly bursary??

* If FG is spending billions of naira monthly on Social Investment Programs to help cushion the effect of poverty, is it not possible for Gov Udom to at least complement such effort to the people??

* How many young Akwa Ibomites have been sent on Scholarships courtesy AKSG in the past 7 years??

* How many indigenes have been employed in the past 7 years??

What exactly is the current benefit of an indigene from an oil producing state??

Is the governor unmindful of what indigenes are going through, or can he still be excused on the premise of "insufficient funds"??
We now know better.

So how exactly is spent in a small state without any impact on the wellbeing of the people? Where are the funds channelled?

And why did the governor have arrested for merely echoing this revelation from Sen Albert Bassey? The young man was thrown into Prisons because the governor was angry he wrote about the .
Why have they not arrested Sen Bassey who publicly asked anyone to quote him??

Do we deserve a Gov Udom Emmanuel???

Is PMB still our problem in this state and country?? - Imaobong Akpan Akpan

THE QUEEN IS BEING PRESERVED🙆‍♂️😱The casket of Queen Elizabeth II was made about 32 years ago.It is made from English Oa...
20/09/2022

THE QUEEN IS BEING PRESERVED🙆‍♂️😱

The casket of Queen Elizabeth II was made about 32 years ago.It is made from English Oak tree which is now rare to find. The interior is lined with lead, which helps preserve the co**se.

Lead is said to make the casket airtight, helping to stop moisture from getting in but making the casket significantly heavier.

"It is made from English oak, which is very difficult to get hold of," Andrew Leverton of Leverton & Sons, a group of London based undertakers contracted for the funeral, confirmed.

Congratulations
19/09/2022

Congratulations

As the interment of the queen is finally being concluded, here are some basic things to know about the late Elizabeth II...
19/09/2022

As the interment of the queen is finally being concluded, here are some basic things to know about the late Elizabeth II:

1) The late Elizabeth married her third-cousin Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey in 1947, eight years after the two connected in 1939 when 13-year-old Elizabeth took a trip with her parents and sister to Britannia Royal Naval College, where Philip, 18, was a cadet.

They were married for 73 years before the husband died last year April, just weeks shy of his 100th birthday

The queen is survived by her four children Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

2) When Elizabeth was born in 1926, she wasn’t expected to ever take the throne. Her father, King George VI, was the second son in his family and only became monarch after his brother King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 in order to marry divorced American Wallace Simpson, leaving 10-year-old Elizabeth as heir presumptive.

A year after her father’s death in 1952, Elizabeth was crowned queen at age 25 and spent nearly three-quarters of her life on the throne.

3) Elizabeth was born in 1926 in Mayfair, London, part of the British royal family on her father’s side and from an aristocratic Scottish family on her mother’s. At the time of her birth, Elizabeth’s paternal grandfather, King George V, was on the throne and she was third in the line of succession.

The family nicknamed her “Lilibet,” which is what the queen initially called herself as a child when she couldn’t pronounce “Elizabeth.” Her only sibling, Princess Margaret, was born in 1930, and the two remained close until Margaret’s death in 2002.

4) Elizabeth was the longest-serving head of state in the world at the time of her death, as well as the oldest British monarch and the ruler with the longest reign in the country’s history.

She sat on the throne during 15 British prime ministers’ time in office, starting with Winston Churchill’s second term, and met 13 U.S. presidents, each one since President Harry Truman with the exception of President Lyndon B. Johnson.

May her soul rest in peace and may God bless the kind.

11/09/2022

*BREAKING* *NEWS*

President buhari lifts employment embargo on federal government MDAS

Today 10th September, 2022, President Buhari has lifted the long enacted employment embargo on all federal government organizations.

The Head of service of the federation, Folashade Mejabi Yemi made this known to news in the State House.

According to her,Mr President lifted the embargo to enable the teeming youths of Nigeria get employed which is a way of tackling insecurity in the country.She assured that all federal government parastatals especially education has been granted approval for mass recruitment.

In his remarks, the Minister of Labour, Dr Christ Ngige told news that President Buhari is keen in employing Nigerian youths in various federal government agencies, as a result, employment embargo has been lifted.
This is necessary to reduce the high level of economic hardship amongst the teeming Nigerian youths.

FRCN

In the NewsQueen Elizabeth ii of England has passed on to glory
08/09/2022

In the News

Queen Elizabeth ii of England has passed on to glory

04/09/2022

Employment embargo: Shortage of professors hits federal varsities

The ban on employment imposed by the Federal Government has led to a shortage of professors and other academic staff members in federal universities, investigation by Sunday PUNCH has revealed.

Findings showed that some universities, which depend on professors on sabbatical, had lost the accreditation of certain courses, while others were given interim accreditation by the National Universities Commission due to the dearth of professors and enough academics for certain programmes.

It was gathered that the situation was worsened by the insistence of the Federal Government to use the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System as the payment platform for lecturers.

The IPPIS, according to stakeholders, does not recognise adjunct professors and those on sabbatical, which informed the decision of the Academic Staff Union of Universities to develop the University Transparency and Accountability Solution as an alternative payment platform.

Academics, some of whom are management staff members of their respective institutions, affirmed that there was indeed a shortage of professors owing to the ban on fresh employment. They said this had also frustrated the old arrangement of retaining first-class graduates in their departments.

A former Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Prof Charles Uko, said in an interview with one of our correspondents that the ban on employment had frustrated the recruitment of new hands.

Uko, a structural engineer, stated that he was the only professor in his department and he would soon retire.

He stated, “I am the only professor in my department and I will be retiring soon. Before, we normally retained our first-class graduates; but for the past six years, we have had a number of first-class graduates, but we have not been able to retain them. One of our best students just got a scholarship to study abroad. I pleaded for many years for the lady to be engaged by the university, because she is an academic material.

“When these young intellectuals come in, we mentor them and supervise their postgraduate thesis and they take over from us. The IPPIS forced on academics is not helping matters. Departments are short-staffed. Before, we had academics on sabbatical. You teach in the school and you get paid there but sometime ago, it was stopped. Some universities depend on these professors on sabbatical.”

Uko recalled that when he went on sabbatical, he served as the head of department in the school because the department did not have a PhD holder as lecturer. He noted that a department could not run postgraduate courses successfully without professors.

He added, “For instance, a private university recently graduated PhD students and it achieved this through the adjunct professors. So, if government is saying they are not ready to employ, there is a problem.

“Other times, when they want to employ, it is done from Abuja and they don’t employ the best brains and what the universities need. We focus on our first-class graduates and then those with second-class upper division.

“In my department, we lost accreditation three years ago. When they came back in November, we were given interim accreditation. We are not happy.”

The ASUU Chairman at the University of Jos, Plateau State, Dr Lazarus Maigoro, said it was an understatement to say there was a shortage of professors.

He noted that as professors retire and some die, there are no replacements. He said the challenge should be addressed with all the urgency it required.

In an interview with one of our correspondents, Maigoro stated, “On this issue, if you say scarcity, it is an understatement. That is the current situation across all federal universities because of the introduction of the IPPIS.

“For instance, if a professor retires and there is no replacement, the university will have no choice but to retain him on contract or go to another university to get someone on sabbatical. The IPPIS will not pay the visiting professor or someone who comes on sabbatical; they are usually paid an allowance because as far as the IPPIS is concerned, the person has retired and shouldn’t have anything to do in the university.

“Universities are crumbling at this moment. In UNIJOS, I can tell you that there are lecturers who have not been paid salaries since 2020 even after several complaints were made. The only reason why there is a dearth of professors in our universities is because people are retiring and dying with no replacement.”

He explained that before the vice-chancellor of a federal university could recruit academics, it could take more than a year, because they would have to pass through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Budget Office of the Federation, Federal Character Commission and Office of the Head of Service, and each process would take minimum of three months.

Similarly, the ASUU Chairman at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, Dr Gbolahan Bolarin, told Sunday PUNCH that most departments of engineering were seriously understaffed and in dire need of senior lecturers.

He said, “At the moment, we don’t have anyone on sabbatical because of the IPPIS and we have some departments that are in need of senior academics. Departments like Material and Metallurgy Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering etc. are seriously under-staffed and are in need of senior academics via tenure appointments or sabbatical, but the IPPIS is making it impossible.

“If you check like Computer Science and Cyber Security, they are in need of academics too. The list is endless.”

When asked if the shortage of professors would affect accreditation, Bolarin said, “Yes, this is because you won’t be able to have the required staff mix.”

At the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, the ASUU Chairman, Prof Moyosore Ajao, told one of our correspondents that academic staff members were overworked.

Ajao noted, “The first thing you need to know is that universities have their tradition and have their ways of living on their own and this is why you cannot subject a university to a ministry’s bureaucratic principles. It is not going to work.

“I can tell you boldly that there is no faculty at the University of Ilorin that is not short-staffed. We have colleagues who have retired and we can’t replace them. We have those who are dead and we can’t replace them, and the implication of this is that the few available hands are overworked and you know what the consequences are.

“To make matters worse, we can’t employ new ones. The double jeopardy is that the IPPIS does not allow you to bring in professors on sabbatical; they won’t get paid.”

The Secretary of ASUU at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, Dr Kayode Atilade, said brain drain was fuelling the dearth of academics.

Atilade stated, “I can tell you from information from colleagues and friends that our colleagues are leaving in droves. I know of two in my department, who left recently. Even before the strike, I know of those who were awaiting clearance from the university in terms of resignation. I know of two who are leaving for Canada.

“In terms of professors, there are no replacements. In my department, two professors retired and another one died. There is no replacement for them as we speak. In my department now, we have only one professor. It’s a common thing now.

“There is no employment as far as university recruitment is concerned. I don’t know whether we will call it an embargo or whatever. You can’t recruit until you get to Abuja. The Treasury Single Account and the IPPIS cannot allow vice-chancellors to even recruit, not even on a temporary basis. The university system is different from other systems.”

Atilade recalled that during the last visitation panel, one of the panel members, who visited the OAU, lamented that she visited a department in the Medical Sciences Faculty and there was only one lecturer there. “You can imagine what will happen to the students,” Atilade noted, “In my department, we have three sub-departments. The Departments of French and Portuguese have only one professor each.”

When one of our correspondents contacted the Federal Ministry of Education for comments, the spokesman, Ben Goong, said the question should be directed to the NUC. “The NUC handles matters that have to do with universities,” he noted.

The Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof Abubakar Rasheed, did not respond to inquiries by Sunday PUNCH.

However, the Deputy Executive Secretary, NUC, Chris Miayaki, in an earlier interaction with the Senate, pleaded that the employment ban be lifted to allow the recruitment of academic and non-academic staff members.

Meanwhile, ASUU has been on strike since February owing to the impasse between it and the Federal Government over matters bordering on revitalisation of the universities, payment of earned allowances and adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution as the payment platform for lecturers instead of the IPPIS.

‘Professors below 50%’

From the NUC data, Sunday PUNCH reports that federal universities currently suffer a shortage of full-time professors.

According to the data, no federal university scored up to 50 per cent in the ranking of full professors. This implies that no federal university has the required number of full professors they require.

Some of the federal universities ranked in the top 10 are the Usmanu Dan-Fodiyo University, Sokoto, with 36.44 per cent; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, 35.80 per cent; University of Ibadan, 29.04 per cent; Federal University of Technology, Akure, 27.28 per cent; Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, 27.25 per cent; University of Abuja, 25.33 per cent; University of Benin, 23.26 per cent; University of Port Harcourt, 21.26 per cent; University of Calabar, 21.20 per cent; and University of Ilorin, 21.12 per cent.

The NUC data also puts the number of academic staff in Nigerian universities at 100,000. “The entire system has about 2.1 million students and staff strength of about 170,000 non-teaching and 100,000 academic staff,” the NUC stated.

‘Return to classrooms’
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has insisted that its no-work-no-pay policy for striking university lecturers stands. It said if the lecturers wanted it to do otherwise, they should resume work and then renegotiate with it.

The Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah, who spoke when he visited the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State, said government had done its best to resolve the impasse.

He charged the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof Olayemi Akinwumi, to appeal to the lecturers to resume work.

The minister said, “The Federal Government cannot pay lecturers for what they did not work for. The strike has continued to portray the country in a bad light and has succeeded in causing more pain for parents and students.

“The Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari has done so much, especially in infrastructural development in our tertiary institutions. Anywhere you go, you will see the presence of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, buildings, vehicles and all manners of institutional assets.

He said contrary to insinuations, “some of us have our children in Nigerian universities and they are also suffering.”

Opiah added that it was not in anyone’s interest if the strike continued forever, adding that any dispute could be resolved through dialogue.

He stated, “I know that almost everything ASUU brought forth for discussion with the Federal Government has been resolved, except that ASUU wants to be paid for the six months they were absent from duty and the government is saying no.

“For once, let us activate the principle of no-work-no-pay, which is natural. It is only a thief that goes to eat where he didn’t work. So, if there should be any appeal for the Federal Government to do otherwise, lecturers should come back to the classrooms to beg, appeal and renegotiate. It’s no longer funny.”

He said the government would ensure the provision of perimeter fencing at the institution in view of the security challenges bedevilling the country, while commending the harmonious working relationship between the vice-chancellor and the Governing Board.

The vice-chancellor, while appreciating the minister for the visit, said the present management had sacrificed a lot to bring development to the institution.Employment embargo: Shortage of professors hits federal varsities

The ban on employment imposed by the Federal Government has led to a shortage of professors and other academic staff members in federal universities, investigation by Sunday PUNCH has revealed.

Findings showed that some universities, which depend on professors on sabbatical, had lost the accreditation of certain courses, while others were given interim accreditation by the National Universities Commission due to the dearth of professors and enough academics for certain programmes.

It was gathered that the situation was worsened by the insistence of the Federal Government to use the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System as the payment platform for lecturers.

The IPPIS, according to stakeholders, does not recognise adjunct professors and those on sabbatical, which informed the decision of the Academic Staff Union of Universities to develop the University Transparency and Accountability Solution as an alternative payment platform.

Academics, some of whom are management staff members of their respective institutions, affirmed that there was indeed a shortage of professors owing to the ban on fresh employment. They said this had also frustrated the old arrangement of retaining first-class graduates in their departments.

A former Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Prof Charles Uko, said in an interview with one of our correspondents that the ban on employment had frustrated the recruitment of new hands.

Uko, a structural engineer, stated that he was the only professor in his department and he would soon retire.

He stated, “I am the only professor in my department and I will be retiring soon. Before, we normally retained our first-class graduates; but for the past six years, we have had a number of first-class graduates, but we have not been able to retain them. One of our best students just got a scholarship to study abroad. I pleaded for many years for the lady to be engaged by the university, because she is an academic material.

“When these young intellectuals come in, we mentor them and supervise their postgraduate thesis and they take over from us. The IPPIS forced on academics is not helping matters. Departments are short-staffed. Before, we had academics on sabbatical. You teach in the school and you get paid there but sometime ago, it was stopped. Some universities depend on these professors on sabbatical.”

Uko recalled that when he went on sabbatical, he served as the head of department in the school because the department did not have a PhD holder as lecturer. He noted that a department could not run postgraduate courses successfully without professors.

He added, “For instance, a private university recently graduated PhD students and it achieved this through the adjunct professors. So, if government is saying they are not ready to employ, there is a problem.

“Other times, when they want to employ, it is done from Abuja and they don’t employ the best brains and what the universities need. We focus on our first-class graduates and then those with second-class upper division.

“In my department, we lost accreditation three years ago. When they came back in November, we were given interim accreditation. We are not happy.”

The ASUU Chairman at the University of Jos, Plateau State, Dr Lazarus Maigoro, said it was an understatement to say there was a shortage of professors.

He noted that as professors retire and some die, there are no replacements. He said the challenge should be addressed with all the urgency it required.

In an interview with one of our correspondents, Maigoro stated, “On this issue, if you say scarcity, it is an understatement. That is the current situation across all federal universities because of the introduction of the IPPIS.

“For instance, if a professor retires and there is no replacement, the university will have no choice but to retain him on contract or go to another university to get someone on sabbatical. The IPPIS will not pay the visiting professor or someone who comes on sabbatical; they are usually paid an allowance because as far as the IPPIS is concerned, the person has retired and shouldn’t have anything to do in the university.

“Universities are crumbling at this moment. In UNIJOS, I can tell you that there are lecturers who have not been paid salaries since 2020 even after several complaints were made. The only reason why there is a dearth of professors in our universities is because people are retiring and dying with no replacement.”

He explained that before the vice-chancellor of a federal university could recruit academics, it could take more than a year, because they would have to pass through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Budget Office of the Federation, Federal Character Commission and Office of the Head of Service, and each process would take minimum of three months.

Similarly, the ASUU Chairman at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, Dr Gbolahan Bolarin, told Sunday PUNCH that most departments of engineering were seriously understaffed and in dire need of senior lecturers.

He said, “At the moment, we don’t have anyone on sabbatical because of the IPPIS and we have some departments that are in need of senior academics. Departments like Material and Metallurgy Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering etc. are seriously under-staffed and are in need of senior academics via tenure appointments or sabbatical, but the IPPIS is making it impossible.

“If you check like Computer Science and Cyber Security, they are in need of academics too. The list is endless.”

When asked if the shortage of professors would affect accreditation, Bolarin said, “Yes, this is because you won’t be able to have the required staff mix.”

At the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, the ASUU Chairman, Prof Moyosore Ajao, told one of our correspondents that academic staff members were overworked.

Ajao noted, “The first thing you need to know is that universities have their tradition and have their ways of living on their own and this is why you cannot subject a university to a ministry’s bureaucratic principles. It is not going to work.

“I can tell you boldly that there is no faculty at the University of Ilorin that is not short-staffed. We have colleagues who have retired and we can’t replace them. We have those who are dead and we can’t replace them, and the implication of this is that the few available hands are overworked and you know what the consequences are.

“To make matters worse, we can’t employ new ones. The double jeopardy is that the IPPIS does not allow you to bring in professors on sabbatical; they won’t get paid.”

The Secretary of ASUU at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, Dr Kayode Atilade, said brain drain was fuelling the dearth of academics.

Atilade stated, “I can tell you from information from colleagues and friends that our colleagues are leaving in droves. I know of two in my department, who left recently. Even before the strike, I know of those who were awaiting clearance from the university in terms of resignation. I know of two who are leaving for Canada.

“In terms of professors, there are no replacements. In my department, two professors retired and another one died. There is no replacement for them as we speak. In my department now, we have only one professor. It’s a common thing now.

“There is no employment as far as university recruitment is concerned. I don’t know whether we will call it an embargo or whatever. You can’t recruit until you get to Abuja. The Treasury Single Account and the IPPIS cannot allow vice-chancellors to even recruit, not even on a temporary basis. The university system is different from other systems.”

Atilade recalled that during the last visitation panel, one of the panel members, who visited the OAU, lamented that she visited a department in the Medical Sciences Faculty and there was only one lecturer there. “You can imagine what will happen to the students,” Atilade noted, “In my department, we have three sub-departments. The Departments of French and Portuguese have only one professor each.”

When one of our correspondents contacted the Federal Ministry of Education for comments, the spokesman, Ben Goong, said the question should be directed to the NUC. “The NUC handles matters that have to do with universities,” he noted.

The Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof Abubakar Rasheed, did not respond to inquiries by Sunday PUNCH.

However, the Deputy Executive Secretary, NUC, Chris Miayaki, in an earlier interaction with the Senate, pleaded that the employment ban be lifted to allow the recruitment of academic and non-academic staff members.

Meanwhile, ASUU has been on strike since February owing to the impasse between it and the Federal Government over matters bordering on revitalisation of the universities, payment of earned allowances and adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution as the payment platform for lecturers instead of the IPPIS.

‘Professors below 50%’

From the NUC data, Sunday PUNCH reports that federal universities currently suffer a shortage of full-time professors.

According to the data, no federal university scored up to 50 per cent in the ranking of full professors. This implies that no federal university has the required number of full professors they require.

Some of the federal universities ranked in the top 10 are the Usmanu Dan-Fodiyo University, Sokoto, with 36.44 per cent; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, 35.80 per cent; University of Ibadan, 29.04 per cent; Federal University of Technology, Akure, 27.28 per cent; Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, 27.25 per cent; University of Abuja, 25.33 per cent; University of Benin, 23.26 per cent; University of Port Harcourt, 21.26 per cent; University of Calabar, 21.20 per cent; and University of Ilorin, 21.12 per cent.

The NUC data also puts the number of academic staff in Nigerian universities at 100,000. “The entire system has about 2.1 million students and staff strength of about 170,000 non-teaching and 100,000 academic staff,” the NUC stated.

‘Return to classrooms’
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has insisted that its no-work-no-pay policy for striking university lecturers stands. It said if the lecturers wanted it to do otherwise, they should resume work and then renegotiate with it.

The Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah, who spoke when he visited the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State, said government had done its best to resolve the impasse.

He charged the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof Olayemi Akinwumi, to appeal to the lecturers to resume work.

The minister said, “The Federal Government cannot pay lecturers for what they did not work for. The strike has continued to portray the country in a bad light and has succeeded in causing more pain for parents and students.

“The Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari has done so much, especially in infrastructural development in our tertiary institutions. Anywhere you go, you will see the presence of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, buildings, vehicles and all manners of institutional assets.

He said contrary to insinuations, “some of us have our children in Nigerian universities and they are also suffering.”

Opiah added that it was not in anyone’s interest if the strike continued forever, adding that any dispute could be resolved through dialogue.

He stated, “I know that almost everything ASUU brought forth for discussion with the Federal Government has been resolved, except that ASUU wants to be paid for the six months they were absent from duty and the government is saying no.

“For once, let us activate the principle of no-work-no-pay, which is natural. It is only a thief that goes to eat where he didn’t work. So, if there should be any appeal for the Federal Government to do otherwise, lecturers should come back to the classrooms to beg, appeal and renegotiate. It’s no longer funny.”

He said the government would ensure the provision of perimeter fencing at the institution in view of the security challenges bedevilling the country, while commending the harmonious working relationship between the vice-chancellor and the Governing Board.

The vice-chancellor, while appreciating the minister for the visit, said the present management had sacrificed a lot to bring development to the institution.

Address


Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Actionchris Spotlight Media posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Actionchris Spotlight Media:

Shortcuts

  • Address
  • Alerts
  • Contact The Business
  • Claim ownership or report listing
  • Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company?

Share