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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board says it will work with security agencies to prosecute any institution or candidate found breaching its admission ’ s code of operations .

The board announced this in its latest Weekly Bulletin made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja .

It said that henceforth , stringent measures , including prosecution , would be taken against erring candidate or institution once a prima facie case has been established against them.

The decision, the board explained , is part of its resolution after the management meeting on the imperative of ridding the admissions process of unwholesome practices.

JAMB ’ s Registrar , Prof . Ishaq Oloyede , was quoted as saying that measures were being put in place to curb admission infractions.

He said that although the Central Admissions Process System had made the admission process transparent , fair and equitable , some stakeholders were, however , working hard to circumvent the system .

“ The board , with zero tolerance for corrupt acts, will not fold its arms and allow unscrupulous elements to drag it back .

“ For the gains of CAPS ’ initiative not to be eroded and to ensure that there are consequences for flouting government ’ s directive on complying with the process , the board has concluded all arrangements with relevant security agencies .

“ These agencies are ready to prosecute any stakeholder , candidate or admissions officers found wanting , ’’ Oloyede was quoted as saying.

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The workers ’ unions of The Polytechnic, Ibadan , have started an indefinite strike to press for the implementation of the new national minimum wage introduced by the Federal Government in 2019 .

The unions, which comprise of Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics and the Non – Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics announced the industrial action after a joint congress held .

As of the time of filing this report , students were seen milling around at the main entrance of the institution with the hope that the school ’ s gate would be opened .

The academic activities of the institution after the Christmas break was scheduled to resume on Monday with the start of first semester examinations for the 2019 /2020 session but was disrupted by the protest by the unions.

The SSANIP Chairman , The Polytechnic, Ibadan , Mr Biodun Abegunde , told journalists that the unions were forced to embark on industrial action because the matter was beyond the school ’ s management and needs to be addressed urgently .

Abegunde had said the unions were demanding the implementation of the new minimum wage and the removal of a consultant in charge of the school finances to give room to financial autonomy for the institution .

“ The unions are agitating the implementation of the minimum wage and the removal of a consultant who has been handling and managing the financial affairs of the institution .

“ This is a move towards financial autonomy. So the unions are clamouring for removal of the consultant so that due process can be maintained by the institution .

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Branches of the Academic Staff Union of Universities has assessed COVID- 19 protocols in the universities and said the institutions were not ready for safe reopening .

The chapters of the union , in separate interviews with newsmen , commented on the directive of the National Universities Commission that universities could resume on January 18 , but must adhere to COVID- 19 protocols in hostels and lecture halls .

ASUU said although its members were ready to start work, government had not put measures in place for safe reopening of the schools .

ASUU ’ s concern came amid coronavirus cases and deaths , which rose to 99 , 063 and 1 , 350 respectively on Saturday.

The union Chairman at the Obafemi Awolowo University , Osun State , Dr Adeola Egbedokun , in an interview with one of news correspondents , said classroom and hostel situations in universities did not in any way conform with COVID- 19 protocols .

He said , “ COVID- 19 is very real and this second wave is as real as described . We cannot afford to toy with our health and the health of our dear students in the name of resumption, which is politically motivated.

“ There are no preparations for safe re – opening of the universities and I think parents must insist on safe re -opening . The current classroom and hostel configurations in our universities do not in any way conform with the PTF ( Presidential Task Force ) on COVID- 19 protocols. There is no way universities can achieve that . I have said this elsewhere , that rather than for government to have addressed the obvious deficits in the public universities during the lockdown and strike , they were playing to the gallery . ”

Non – teaching staff in the universities under the aegis of the Joint Action Committee , will on Tuesday , embark on three- day nationwide protests over the government ’ s handling of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System , sharing formula of the N 40 billion earned academic allowances and non – payment of arrears of the new minimum wage.

The committee said other contentious issues that informed the decision include inconsistencies in IPPIS payment and the delay in the renegotiation of the FGN / ASUU /SSANU 2009 Agreement .

Others were the non – payment of retirement benefits to former members , non – constitution of visitation panels to universities , poor funding of universities , teaching staff usurping the headship of non -teaching units, among others.

The JAC which comprised the Non -Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities directed all its branches to mobilize the members on Monday for the rallies .

The decision to embark on the protest was taken at a meeting by the leadership of NASU and SSANU , in Abuja, where they reviewed the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Federal Government on October 20 , 2020 .

In a communique signed by the SSANU President , Mohammed Ibrahim , and the General Secretary of NASU , Prince Peters Adeyemi , the committee added that the unions would consider other measures , including embarking on an indefinite strike , after the protests.

The JAC was expected to meet on Thursday to review the success of the protest and deliberate on the next step .

Punch