Strike no going back on demands – Poly Lecturers

Two months into its nationwide strike, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, said that there was no going back on its demands, insisting that unless all issues that caused the strike were addressed, the action would continue. This came as the union rejected the discriminatory cut-off points for candidates seeking admission into Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education and called for harmonization of the cut-off points into tertiary institutions in the country. ASUP had called out its members on a nationwide strike in protest against government’s refusal to implement agreement on bothering on welfare and other sundry issues. The union, after its 74th National Executive Council, NEC, meeting at Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra…

Politics And Public Service: The Most Lucrative Business Enterprises In Nigeria Today (1)

Politics is a witty stratagem and artifice that are being exercised to establish a human and material platform for the institutionalization of a stable and progressive state with the full credence and tenet of the entrenchment of democracy and enactment of good governance. While Public Service could be categorized as a working contract entrusted to the care and responsibility of a chosen with a stipulated remuneration, recompense or allowance, for the strengthening of the affairs of the state and welfare of the people. Analytically, both politics and public service are for the advancement, growth and upliftment of a state in every facet of her development including direction, conduct, guidance, administration and management. If all these…

Kano increases pensioners allowance by 3,000%

Kano State Government has increased the minimum allowance of its pensioners by 3,000 percent.  The government said the least paid pensioner in the state now earn N5,000 as against the previous N135 per month. The State Head of Service, Alhaji Umar Shehu Minjibiri who disclosed this during a press briefing at the 2013 Public Service Day, said the implementation of the improved allowance had already taken effect. He said the state government decided to improve the pensioners’ welfare in view of the fact that their previous allowance was barely enough to attend to their needs. He also said as part of the Public Service Day celebration, the state government was organizing a workshop to sensitize…

Retired Alvan Staff groan under unpaid entitlements

- Head of Service says govt is addressing their problems Retired staff of the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education (AIFCE) Owerri beween 2007-2009 have carried to the media their battle for survival over their unpaid end-of-service financial benefits (July 2007-Dec. 2009). Two spokespersons of this Group Sir Alex Onyemekara, former Dean School of Sciences and Sir Alex Ukaegbu, Principal Lecturer, Department of Agriculture, who were interviewed, described their members as “The Unfortunate Group”.  They lamented that those who retired before them, (1993-2007) have fully received their gratuities and were enjoying their pensions without any outstanding arrears while those who retired after them (since Dec. 2009) have been adequately covered in the PENCOM Pension Scheme….

Police retirees decry neglect by pension managers

Retired personnel of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) at the weekend in Benin, Edo State, expressed concern voer what they termed “gross isolation and neglect by their pension managers of the PENCOM Act 2004”. They said they were in the dark on what accrued from their contributed pension scheme after 35 years of service in the country.  President General of the association, Dr. Moses Ajeka, made the lamentation while inaugurating Edo State Chapter, Elders Club of Nigeria (PENCOM retired police officers) in Benin.  According to him, the club, which came into being in October 2010, was an umbrella body of the retirees aimed at correcting the challenges arising from the PENCOM Act. “We are the…

A Sincere Rescue for Pensioners

“Nos morituri….We who are about to die, salute thee” Five or six top officers, cheeks glowing with evidence of good living, are seated round an impressive oval table, concluding the disbursement of funds for the month having the other day received the monthly allocation from the federation Account. They have been at it for the past two hours and are in the process of winding up. Hesitatingly, one of them, after a glance at the uncommitted balance in the working paper, asks “ em……em…., how about the pensioners?” Two others impatiently retorted in unison, “What about them?” The first speaker, with the embarrassment of someone who has said the wrong thing at the wrong time,…

Should Nigerian Public Employees (Government Workers) also accept TIPS?

Whether you are cashing a cheque over the counter, going through immigration at the airports, making a complaint to a police officer, renewing your driver’s license, receiving a title from a royal father, ordering a drink in a bar, obtaining your transcripts from your college, arranging for a funeral with a clergy or even being rushed into the emergency room in Nigeria, be prepared to TIP. Technically, tip means “a sum of money given to someone as a reward for their services”.  It is not to be confused with wage or salary, which is a sum of money due to someone for their services.  Generally, tip is often optional and the amount determined by the…

Letters to the Editor: The plight of Primary School Pensioners in Imo State

The pensioners in Imo State especially the retired Primary School ‘teachers’ and their State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) counterparts are crying to the good Government of Imo State to come to “Macedonia and help them” to alleviate their sufferings, to save them from dying of hunger and sickness.  They are asking government to show appreciation for their long service honestly rendered to the State Government for 35 years by paying them their due gratuity and pensions, which are their hope of living and sustaining themselves and families.  Some of them who retired since 2010 have not received anything called money, why?  Those on the pension pay roll have not been paid for over ten…

KSJI: Borromeo Commandery, Ehime Fetes the poor

Members of Knights of St. John’s International (565), Borromeo Commandery, Ehime Mbano, Imo state gave succor to the poor and seminarians on Saturday 18th May, 2013. Prelude to the event, Rev. Fr. Anthony Dieme celebrated a Mass. In his homily, Fr. Dieme postulated that Christ urged Peter to feed his lamb if he loves him. It was thereafter that Christ told Peter the type of horrible death that will befall him. According to the priest, when Peter saw John passing by, he enquired from Christ what will be the fate of John and Jesus responded that he should leaveJohn alone. Rev. Fr. Tony Dieme enjoined Christians to always practice charity and selfless service to God…

Full text of Bishop Okpaleke’s Post-ordination speech (2)

Contd. from last edition In a lighter mood, let me confess that now I know firsthand the emotions women go through when they are getting married. It is like being transplanted from one location to another with the uncertainties and adaptation challenges therefrom. The experience is made worse if the woman notices sins of non-acceptance by some in her place of marriage. But many women know that in spite of the roughness of the beginnings, better days could be ahead and that the best way to ensure better days ahead is by loving and serving all irrespective of what has transpired at the beginning. Indeed, if left to choose between two unpleasant options, many women…

Dr Joe Obi-Njoku : Rising from the Grassroots

Imagine him chopping wood with an axe.  Imagine him also shirtless, barefoot, a climbing robe “akpi” on his left shoulder and a machete in his right hand, dividing the bush and heading for the nearest palm tree to cut down the ripe fruits for sale, so he and his family could eat.   Imagine him again taking bamboos from the raffia palm and carefully weaving the traditional bamboo bed – “okpukpo,” (agada in some dialet)  also to make a living. Finally, see him riding an old bicycle from his home at Umueme, Uzagba, in Ikeduru local government, to Mbaise to go to college.   That’s the life of Dr Joe Obi-Njoku, as a young man,…