Strike continues, says ASUU

University teachers said yesterday that their strike will go on — 89 days after it began.

This is in spite of the intervention by Vice President Namadi Sambo in bringing the lecturers back to the negotiation table.

The teachers are seeking proper funding of education and the payment of their N87 billion earned allowances.

These are part of the 2009 agreement between the teachers and the government. The government has offered N30 billion for the earned allowances and made available N100billion for projects on the campuses. The lecturers rejected the offer. The strike has been on since July 1.

The latest position of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the umbrella association of the teachers to go on with the strike, was made known yesterday by University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter Chairman Dr. Karo Ogbinika, in a statement.

When YABATECH students rose against violence

The Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) in Lagos was in turmoil last Thursday, as some students went after a group of boys suspected to be cultists, who macheted a student. The action disrupted academic and social activities. WALE AJETUNMOBI and MARK ORGU (300-Level Educational Management, School of Technical Education, YABATECH) report.

SOME students were having a nice time in the Complex Hall’s common room when the boys arrived, blocking the entrance. They stopped people from entering or leaving. Unaware of what was happening, Chinonso Anyankura, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the National Association of Anambra State Students, arrived on the scene. He insisted on going in and the boys, who were suspected to be cultists descended on him. The attack on their colleague infuriated other students.

The following day, they went after the boys, who macheted Chinonso.

‘NANS has become a tool for politicians’

Jude Ezeibe, a student of Agric Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), is the president of the National Association of Abia State Students (NAASS). In this interview with EMMANUEL AHANONU (Political Science, University of Calabar), he speaks on the challenges of being a students’ leader.

Why did you join students’ unionism?

It is because I have the passion to serve my fellow students and be their voice, so that they can be heard. I want to make sure that their welfare is guaranteed every time.

What are your objectives?

I want to give a voice to students. I also want to take the association of Abia students to a level where it will be respected by the government and the people as the mouthpiece of youths.

BBM for Android, iOS now here

• Paul Omorogbe & Seyi Sokoya 

• A fortnight ago we had written that BlackBerry Messenger would be available on multi-platforms, namely Android and iOS, the operating system that runs the iPhone and iPad.
  
  We are glad to announce that BlackBerry confirmed on Wednesday that its messenger service would come to Android and iOS this weekend. To be specific, the Android version was launched on Saturday, while the iOS version hits the App Store today.
  BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) was previously exclusive to BlackBerry users, and is much loved by the BlackBerry faithful worldwide. However, Nigerians seem to love it most judging by how fast BlackBerry became the craze among the populace and has continued to be up till now.

Blackberry reveals date BBM messaging will go to rivals

From this weekend, users will no longer need to own a Blackberry device to access its BBM messaging service.

Blackberry has confirmed BBM will be available as a free download for Apple and Android devices but not for Windows phones.

The move comes as the Wall Street Journalreports that Blackberry will lay off 40% of its staff before 2014.

Widening the appeal of BBM could be a clever way for the company to reinvent itself, said experts.

"Blackberry is having a tough time, sales are down, it is losing market to Windows phones and it needs to do something to stop the rot.

BlackBerry Messenger to launch on Android, iOS this weekend

Free downloads to open BBM to rival smartphone platforms

By Neil McAllister

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) will be available for download on Android and iOS devices beginning this weekend, the struggling Canadian smartphone maker has announced.

BlackBerry has been teasing the idea of separating its popular social messaging app from its smartphone platform since May, and it even made the app available on select Android-powered Samsung phones in a stealth pilot program in Africa last month.

Blackberry expands BBM chat app to Android and iOS

Blackberry's boss said he was excited to be able to invite more people to join the BBM service

The Q5 is being offered in red and pink colours as well as black and white options
The Blackberry Messenger (BBM) app is to be offered as a download to run on rival platforms.

Blackberry said it would initially offer texts, photo messages and group sharing functions on devices running Google's Android and Apple's iOS operating systems from "the summer".

When comrades meet

How can unionism be used for the benefit of students? Members of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) learnt the know-how during a visit to the chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State, Comrade Ayodele Adewale. TOLULOPE OGUNLEYE (HND II Computer Science) reports.

ALL was quiet at the secretariat of Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State last Wednesday during a visit by some students union leaders. About 10:30pm, members of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) Students’ Union Government (SUG) arrived at the council to keep an appointment with the chairman, Comrade Ayodele Adewale.

Exam malpractices: Offenders face five -year imprisonment

Any West African Examination Council (WAEC) candidate caught indulging in examinations malpractices in any part of the country risks a minimum of five years imprisonment and N200, 000 fine.

This is because the Federal Executive Council has approved the memo from the Ministry of Education seeking to amend the WAEC Act 2004 in line with the 2003 convention in Ghana.

Aliyu to Fed Govt: honour agreement with ASUU

•Govt urged to implement pact 

The Chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) and Niger State Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, yesterday urged the Federal Government to honour the 2009 agreement reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the interest of the students.

He frowned at the annual nine per cent national budgetary allocation to the education sector as against the 26 per cent benchmark approved by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Aliyu described the development as “unfortunate”.

Govt begs NANS not to protest

The Presidential Committee on the implementation of the Needs Assessment of Nigerian Universities yesterday begged the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) not to protest over the lecturers’ strike.

The committee chairman, who is also the Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswan, made the appeal when students visited him in Abuja.