Education / News / Penson

ASUU: Labour mobilize for nationwide protest, three-day warning strike

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), yesterday, said it has fully mobilized all its affiliates across sectors for a total shut down of the economy today.

The two-day nationwide protest is in solidarity with the over five months strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Addressing affiliates ahead of the protest for Lagos zone, NLC Chairman, Lagos Council, Funmi Sessi, described as insensitive, government’s attitude to universities workers’ plights.

She said as early as 6:00a.m., all workers would converge under the bridge at Ikeja and march to Government House, Alausa, to deliver a letter from the NLC national body to Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu.

The protest, she said, is to compel the Federal Government to meet the demands of ASUU and address the poor handling of the education sector.

She said: “We are already fully mobilized. We will be on the street using the protest to drum support for parents of the students, who have been home for this long period,” she said.

According to her, NLC has charged all the private institutions owned by the state government to abstain from going to work, adding that it is the directive from the national body that Lagos State University (LASU) and other state-owned institutions should join the protest as workers.

“If the government like, let them bring all their armoured tanks and security agencies, we will face them. We are using this opportunity to tell all institutions in Lagos to come out in solidarity with us because the reward will be for all. Injury to one is an injury to all,” she added.

Sessi also emphasized that the national grid should go down to zero and for health workers, only emergency services would be allowed.

Speaking at the meeting, Zonal Coordinator, ASUU, Lagos, Adelaja Odukoya, maintained that the dispute that caused unions in the universities to be on prolonged strike was a deep-rooted crisis.

He said: “The struggle is in the interest of our children. Enough is enough, government must fund education. If we allow government to continue, they will destroy …

News / Penson

Lagos State pays N29 billion to 7,308 retirees in two years

Lagos State Government has said it paid N29,088,291,668.35 as accrued pension rights to 7,308 retirees in the last two years.

The Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Mrs Ajibola Ponnle, said this at the 2021 ministerial briefing to commemorate the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.

She disclosed that the money was paid between May, 2019 and April, 2021, adding that the government implemented the upward review of pension contributions into Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs) from 7.5 per cent of employee contributions and 7.5 per cent employer contributions to 8 per cent employee contributions and 10 per cent employer contributions, which s affect electronic archiving of records of payments and vital pensioners’ documents for preservation and ease of reference.

She also explained how the entire public service witnessed capacity development despite restrictions on physically gathering, following the outbreak of covid-19 pandemic last year.

The commissioner revealed that over 73,448 public servants were trained in 2020 as against the yearly average of 3,000 trained employees.

She said the ministry leveraged on several online virtual platforms to embark on training programs in a successive manner for the state’s employees.

She said: “A total of 3,101 officers were trained in 2020 across 98Ministries, Department, Agencies and Parastatals under the virtual training initiative comprising of 52 Grade Level 17 officers, 274 GL 16, 1023 GL 15, 901 GL 14, 9 and 851 GL 13.”

Ponnle further disclosed that the government paid N4,203,784,514.49 to pensioners in the state under the Defined Benefits Scheme otherwise known as ‘Pay As You Go’ from May 2019 to March 2021.

Ponnle stated that as part of commitment to the welfare of pensioners, Sanwo-Olu approved payment of 33 per cent increment for all State pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme and also paid the balance of the 25 per cent rent allowance for officers on Grade Level 07 and above who retired between May 2000 and August 2004.

Similarly, Lagos State Government has reiterated its commitment to staff welfare and conducive working conditions of all public servants to ensure …