The President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd . ) , will on Thursday address a joint session of the National Assembly on efforts being made by his regime to address the security challenges being witnessed across the country.
The President ’ s Personal Assistant on Social Media , Lauretta Onochie , disclosed this in a message she posted on her Twitter handle , @ Laurestar .
The message read , “ President @ MBuhari will address a joint session of the National Assembly (@nassnigeria ) on Thursday , December 10 , 2020 . ”
In what appears to be an attempt to forestall another round of # EndSARS protests, armed policemen and soldiers have been deployed in the Lekki toll plaza, Lagos .
Several motorists informed newsmen that the security operatives were deployed around midnight .
The Police Public Relations Officer , Muyiwa Adejobi , did not respond to calls .
However , both the military and the police authorities had warned several times last week that they would not allow another round of protests to take place.
Meanwhile, some youths under the aegis of Face of # EndSARS Movement , held a protest in Osogbo , Osun State capital .
They marched through the streets of Osogbo to the Osun State House of Assembly , demanding an audience with the leadership of the Assembly .
The protesters led by Emmanuel Adebisi demanded good governance among other things .
Police are set for a showdown with youths over the second phase of the #EndSARS protests.
The protests are billed to begin on Monday in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and other cities.
There was anxiety as various police commands yesterday warned against such gatherings.
The organisers, who raised awareness on the social media, said the second phase was to demand the release of all protesters detained following the first phase.
They also want restrictions on all accounts of #EndSARS leaders at the instance of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) lifted.
Destroyed, vandalised or looted were 269 private and companies’ assets during the #EndSARS protests.
No less than 243 government facilities were burnt or vandalised and 81 warehouses looted.
In Edo, Lagos, Abia, Delta, Ondo and Ebonyi states, 1,957 inmates were set free from eight Medium Security Custodial Centres and 31 employees of the Prisons Service injured.
There were about 196 injured policemen, 164 destroyed police vehicles and 134 burnt police stations.
Supporters of the planned protests, which have remained a trending topic across social media platforms since last week, said they were undeterred by the threats by security operatives.
Some asked the police and government to go after those who wreaked havoc, during the first phase of the #EndSARS protests and bring them to justice.
They said labelling #ENDSARS protesters as criminals will not demoralise them.
Bisi Oluwagbemileke wrote: “#EndSARS, where are we meeting tomorrow (today)? I just want us to keep applying pressure and retweeting aggressively. I am ready with my joggers and canvas. Let’s hit the road.”
Ayobami Olunloyo said: “To label #EndSARS as simply being about police reform, is a grave error. It (was) is about societal reform. Police brutality was merely a trigger and the final straw for too many citizens who do not deserve to be brutalised randomly or to live in fear and terror.”
Wondering why the police banned protests, Abayomi Agbomire asked why the service was not going after its operatives that protested in Katsina over alleged unpaid salaries.
“When will @PoliceNG understand that #EndSARS is a positive thing for them as well?” he queried.
Police are set for a showdown with youths over the second phase of the #EndSARS protests.
The protests are billed to begin on Monday in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and other cities.
There was anxiety as various police commands yesterday warned against such gatherings.
The organisers, who raised awareness on the social media, said the second phase was to demand the release of all protesters detained following the first phase.
They also want restrictions on all accounts of #EndSARS leaders at the instance of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) lifted.
Destroyed, vandalised or looted were 269 private and companies’ assets during the #EndSARS protests.
No less than 243 government facilities were burnt or vandalised and 81 warehouses looted.
In Edo, Lagos, Abia, Delta, Ondo and Ebonyi states, 1,957 inmates were set free from eight Medium Security Custodial Centres and 31 employees of the Prisons Service injured.
There were about 196 injured policemen, 164 destroyed police vehicles and 134 burnt police stations.
Supporters of the planned protests, which have remained a trending topic across social media platforms since last week, said they were undeterred by the threats by security operatives.
Some asked the police and government to go after those who wreaked havoc, during the first phase of the #EndSARS protests and bring them to justice.
They said labelling #ENDSARS protesters as criminals will not demoralise them.
Bisi Oluwagbemileke wrote: “#EndSARS, where are we meeting tomorrow (today)? I just want us to keep applying pressure and retweeting aggressively. I am ready with my joggers and canvas. Let’s hit the road.”
Ayobami Olunloyo said: “To label #EndSARS as simply being about police reform, is a grave error. It (was) is about societal reform. Police brutality was merely a trigger and the final straw for too many citizens who do not deserve to be brutalised randomly or to live in fear and terror.”
Wondering why the police banned protests, Abayomi Agbomire asked why the service was not going after its operatives that protested in Katsina over alleged unpaid salaries.
“When will @PoliceNG understand that #EndSARS is a positive thing for them as well?” he queried.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has said it would not end the strike it embarked on until government paid all the salaries of its members it withheld .
The President of ASUU , Prof . Biodun Ogunyemi , in a telephone interview with news correspondent in Lagos , said government should not expect the lecturers to resume without paying the withheld salaries .
Recall that there were reports on November 27 that the union had agreed to end its strike following the Federal Government’ s promise to release N70 bn to ASUU as earned allowance .
But Ogunyemi explained that the members were still consulting and at the same time waiting for the government to fulfil its promise of releasing members’ withheld salaries .
“ We are still consulting ; we have not finished consultation, by the end of this week we shall make our report public . There are promises government made with dates. Government promised to release salaries of our members . The withheld salaries have not been paid and we need to have information on that . Government should not expect us to resume without releasing our salaries . ”
He emphasised that once the timeline expired this week without the salaries being paid, the union would take a final decision .
Ogunyemi also said that he could not determine when ASUU would suspend the strike .
“ I can ’ t vouch for anything about resumption, but my members will determine that . The only thing I know is that payment of withheld salaries can smoothen the process and that is what we have told the government . It will aid the final decision .
“ The government gave a timeline and we are monitoring , once the timeline expires this week, our members will take a final decision. If they pay the withheld salaries , it will make the process easier to handle . ”
The Non – Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions has issued a 14 – day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address anomalies in the nation’ s Research Institutes and Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System .
The union ’ s president , Dr Makolo Hassan , in a statement , following its National Executive Council , said the union was warming up for a total shut down.
According to him , NASU is an arm of the Joint Health Sector Unions .
“ For almost 10 years , the government has failed to honour the content of the agreement it freely entered into with the Joint Research and Allied Institutions Sector Unions as contained in the year 2010 JORAISU /FGN Agreement .
“ The underlisted issues include payment of 12 months arrears of 53 . 37 per cent salary increase , peculiar allowances and earned allowances .
“ Also , the retirement age of 65 years for Non – Research staff as obtainable in the universities , withdrawal of circular on non – skipping of Salary Grade Level 10 , that is the National Industrial Court ’ s judgement delivered in favour of the trade unions.
“ Others include the establishment of a central body to be known as National Research Institutes Commission , adequate funding of Research Institutes and release of conditions of service , ” he said .
The union leader said the government had yet to address the issues in spite of several reminders, strikes and Memorandum of Understanding entered into with the government on the matter .
Hassan said : “ We , therefore , use the opportunity of this meeting to request the government to act speedily , particularly on the issue of the 12 months arrears.
“ Except some concrete steps are taken within the next 14 days, NASU members in all the research institutes in Nigeria will be compelled to commence strike to press home their demand in this regard, ” he said .
The union leader also said that the government had not lived to its promise of a hitch- free migration on the IPPIS.
According to him , IPPIS has demonstrated a high level of incompetence and inefficiency .
He said that the union ’ s experience since it migrated to the platform had been a painful one .
“ All efforts to get government and the office of the Accountant General of the Federation to redress the noticeable shortcomings has not yielded a positive result.
Some university students has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities to consider their future and resume to work in their various institutions.
Some of the students , who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria in Enugu , expressed worries and lamented as they appealed for the suspension of the prolonged strike.
The students said they were tired and frustrated due to the time wasted without any academic achievement .
They said the strike would make them remain in the university more than it was necessary .
ASUU has been on strike since March 2020 over demands for more funding for public universities and renegotiation of the 2009 FG/ ASUU agreement .
Others are outstanding earned academic allowances , the proliferation of universities by state governments , and the constitution of Visitation Panels to Federal Universities .
A law student at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University , Awka , Augustine Azubike , said he was appealing to the university lecturers to consider the future of the students and to return to work.
Azubike added that the incessant strike embarked upon by the lecturers was affecting the quality of university education in the country.
Another university student , Ann Chukwu , of Linguistic Department , University of Nigeria , Nsukka expressed worry over the lingering strike , adding that her private business , located within the university, had been static since the strike started .
“ My business , which is within the university premises has been static since the lecturers embarked on strike and the business has been the source of income for my school and accommodation fees , ” Ude lamented .
Daniel Onyekachukwu , a mechanical engineering student , from UNN , said the incessant strikes by public universities ’ workers had altered the academic calendar and the students ’ time of graduation .
“ Our lecturers and government should consider students from poor families , whose parents are not financially buoyant enough to send their children and wards to private and foreign universities , ” Onyekachukwu appealed .
Joe Ezike of the Department of Psychology , Nnamdi Azikiwe University , Awka said he was unhappy over the strike as his rent had expired .
“ My anger over the strike is that the money I paid for my off – campus accommodation before the strike has expired without proper use of the room , ” Ezike complained .
The President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd . ) , has agreed to address the House of Representatives on the security challenges across the country.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives , Femi Gbajabiamila , disclosed this to State House correspondents after meeting Buhari at the Presidential Villa , Abuja.
He said the date of the address would soon be made public .
The House of Representatives had on Tuesday resolved to invite Buhari to address lawmakers on efforts being made to address the security challenges in parts of the country.
Garba Shehu , Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd . ) , says the clamour for the sacking of service chiefs is ‘ out of place’ .
According to Shehu , the president has the prerogative to appoint or sack any of the country ’ s service chiefs , adding that the president keeps the service chiefs as long as he is satisfied with their performance .
Reacting to the call by several Nigerians who also want the president to rejig the country’ s security architecture , Shehu said the decision to sack or retain any of the service chiefs is entirely the president ’ s .
He spoke in an interview with Arise TV monitored by Newsmen .
The presidential spokesman said , “ I am not aware that the tenure of service chiefs is subjected to any law or regulation that is clearly stated . They serve at the pleasure of the president and ( if ) the president is satisfied with their performance , he keeps them. The buck stops on his table — with due respect to the feelings of Nigerians .
“ The clamour for the sack is out of place considering that the president is not subject to the opinion of opposition political party which has clamoured for this all the time . It is entirely his own determination ; he decides who he keeps as his service chiefs and for how long. ”
Explaining further last night , Shehu said , “ My suggestion in the earlier news report is that the military had not certified those areas as being free of landmines and terrorists ’ intrusions. Whether there are processes for getting licences or commissions, it is not for me , the military is in a better position to describe those processes . ”
The Senate has asked the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd . ) , to sack service chiefs as a result of their failure to secure Nigerians .
The Senate decision , which is the third it would pass this year , followed a motion by Senator Kashim Shettima on the recent killing of 43 rice farmers in Borno State by the Boko Haram insurgents .
The Senate asked Buhari to replace the security chiefs with new ones “ immediately” .
However, The House of Representatives has resolved to invite the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd . ) , to address members in plenary over the security crises across the country.
Earlier , plenary at the House of Representatives turned rowdy as members were sharply divided over a motion seeking to invite Buhari to appear before the lawmakers to explain the rising spate of insecurity in the country.
The House was considering a motion moved by members from Borno State on the recent massacre of 43 rice farmers in the state by Boko Haram insurgents .
Part of the prayers was to invite Buhari to appear on the floor of the House and address the lawmakers in plenary.
Efforts by the Speaker , Femi Gbajabiamila ; Majority Leader , Alhassan Ado – Doguwa; and Chairman , House Committee on Air Force , Shehu Koko , among others, to have the prayer dropped proved abortive .
Gbajabiamila ’ s plea that a state of emergency be adopted instead was also rebuffed .
The speaker was forced to ask that the lawmakers have an executive ( closed -door ) session .
Emerging from the closed – door session , Gbajabiamila asked one of the sponsors of the motion, Ahmad Jaha , to make an amendment to the motion .
Jaha prayed the House to invite the president as proposed in the original motion .
The Speaker put the amended motion to a voice vote and it was unanimously adopted by the lawmakers .
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