The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has threatened to embark on another nationwide strike to protest absence of governing councils in all federal universities across the country among other issues the government is yet to address, Vanguard reports. The body which recalled that the federal government dissolved governing councils of the universities in May, last year, has asked Nigerians to hold the government responsible for any decision it takes to protest the action of government.   President of ASUU,Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke,spoke at a press conference which is ongoing at ASUU national secretariat,Abuja. Details coming…

  Point of sale (PoS) operators say there are plans to sue the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) over mandatory registration requirements. On May 6, CAC and financial technology (fintechs) companies agreed to a two-month timeline to register their agents, merchants, and individuals with the commission. CAC said the deadline for registration is set for July 7. According to the commission, the action is equally backed by Section 863 (1) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, (CAMA) 2020, as well as the 2013 Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) guidelines on agent banking. The commission said the registration aims to safeguard the businesses of fintechs and customers, as well as strengthen the economy. Speaking to TheCable on Tuesday, Elegbede Oluwasegun, national general secretary of the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN), said PoS operators have decided to take legal action to challenge the legality of the directive. Citing two major sections of the CBN policy and CAMA to back AMMBAN’s position, Oluwasegun said CAC has no jurisdiction over individuals not operating as a company. “There are two differences where we have advised our agents appropriately regarding their position in the ongoing issues. Even though it was not made public, we are advising our members accordingly to ascertain where they stand as the policy is concerned and we cited two major sections of the CBN policy and CAMA to back our position,” Oluwasegun said. “For CAC, when they said all PoS agents should… but as an individual agent, you are not requested to register with CAC if you are using your name. “In CAMA, only a non-individual agent is required to register with CAC. For example, if your name is John Doe, you are not liable for CAC registration and you can get the reference from CAMA 2022, section 18 (2).” Oluwasegun said the CBN policy recognises both individual and non-individual agents.   According to the secretary, an individual agent operating under their personal name is a legitimate entity for conducting business in Nigeria, beyond just PoS operations. “A provision store operating as ‘Iya Seun’ store, not registered, is not bound by the law to go and register their business so long they are not a business name. Same with our kind of business, and that is our position,” Oluwasegun said. He said that as law-abiding citizens, the association will go to court to determine the legal basis of CAC’s directive. Oluwasegun, however, clarified that AMMBAN is not seeking confrontation with the commission but wants to test the legality of its order.

  President Bola Tinubu and the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, will now pay airport access toll and parking fees at any of the nation’s airports. This was as the Federal Executive Council chaired by Tinubu approved a memorandum from the Ministry of Aviation scrapping toll exemptions for all Very Important Persons and government officials using the airports. The Minister, Mr. Festus Keyamo, who announced this to journalists, after Tuesday’s FEC meeting, argued that the government was losing over 82 per cent of the revenue it should have earned from the e-tags that provide access to the airports. He explained that the memoranda had initially recommended an exemption for the president and the vice president. However, Tinubu overruled the recommendation, insisting that he and the VP alongside their aides must pay tolls. “Our memo says ‘with the exception of the President and the Vice President’. But the President overruled me and said he and the Vice President will pay, he said everybody will pay,” Keyamo revealed. The Minister lamented that VIPs who have the money to pay tolls are evading payment, leaving the authorities to rely on charges gotten from the poor. “They don’t pay the access fees. They don’t pay for parking, they don’t pay for essential services at airports, and they are VIPs. “And I told myself on my team, I said not under my watch. It will not happen,” he said. Keyamo vowed to end episodes where uniform officers harass airport staff at the gates, assuring citizens that more cameras will be “planted” in strategic positions to capture those culpable. He said the FG stands to generate N10bn annually from tolls, even as it considers a rebate for military veterans. Details shortly…

  The men of the Department of State Services have invaded an Ogun State High Court sitting in Ilaro and arrested two defendants despite the judge’s warning. The court was presided over by Justice AA Shobayo on Tuesday. The defendants, who were simply identified as Alhaji Isiaka Fatai and Samuel Oyero, were tried in a suit marked HCP/IC/2023 between the State vs Awode Oladosu & 13 others. The case was reported to be a result of a crisis that recently broke out in the Agosasa community in the Ipokia Local Government Area of the state over an Obaship tussle which led to the destruction of property worth billions of naira and loss of life. Meanwhile, when the hearing was ongoing, operatives of the DSS stormed the court premises and took away the suspects. Confirming the incident to Daily Trust, Counsel to Alhaji Isiaka, Kehinde Bamiwola, in a statement, alleged that men of the DSS operatives used weapons on the two, stressing that “Alhaji Isiaka Fatai was beaten, slapped, man-handled, rough-handled and molested.” Corroborating Bamiwola’s claim, the Principal Registrar of the High Court and Sectional Head of High Court, Ilaro, Omololu Olusanya, confirmed the incident, describing it as shocking and disrespectful to the rule of law. He stressed that even after the judge had ordered the operatives not to make any arrest within the court premises, they still proceeded to arrest the two persons. “They still went ahead and did the act to the extent that they assaulted one of our staff members, Mrs Fadina, while doing that act. It’s a very sad issue that caused a lot of noise within the court premises. “It was from the source that we heard they were DSS agents. If anybody sees them, one would think they were armed robbers. Olusanya further said that their appearance was far from being identified as DSS agents, adding, “They did not wear anything that identified them as DSS, but they came to my lord this morning and said they had some people to arrest. That was when we knew they were DSS officers. “They approached the judge before the court session began. The honourable judge advised them that if they wanted to make an arrest, it must not be done within the court premises. “They could stay outside and do whatever they wanted, but they refused that advice and carried out the arrest within the premises,” he said. However, when contacted, the spokesman for the DSS, Peter Afunanya, did not answer calls or reply to text messages sent as of the time of filing this report.

  The wedding for 100 orphan girls, scheduled to take place in his constituency, has been called off by Abdulamlik Sarkindaji, the speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly. Sarkindaji announced his decision not to attend the event. The choice was made in response to Uju Ohannaya, the Minister of Women’s Affairs, who took legal action against the speaker to halt the wedding. This was revealed by the speaker on Tuesday, May 14, during a press briefing, where he said the minister had gone beyond her jurisdiction. He also added that the minister should bear the cost of the wedding ceremony The Nation reported that the speaker pledged to cover the dowries for the bridegrooms, stating he had acquired all necessary materials for the proper marriage of the 100 girls. He assured them that their comfort in their matrimonial homes had been arranged, just as it would be for any other child marrying according to Islamic traditions

  Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, minister of women affairs, has petitioned the inspector-general of police (IGP) and sought a court injunction to halt the marriage of 100 girls in Niger state. Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, speaker of the Niger state house of assembly, announced last week that he would sponsor the wedding of 100 girls, some of whom were orphaned by insurgency, as part of his Maringa constituency project. He said he had procured materials for the event scheduled for May 24, and promised to pay dowries for the bridegrooms. Following the outcry that trailed the announcement, the speaker explained that he was only financing the wedding — not forcing the girls into marriage. However, Kennedy-Ohanenye said the plan is unacceptable, and that the future of the girls should be a priority. Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Monday, the minister said a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the issue will be carried out. She said the ministry will take responsibility for the girls’ education and vocational training. “I want to let the honorable speaker of house in Niger state know that this is totally unacceptable by Federal Minister Of Women Affairs and by the government,” Kennedy-Ohanenye said. “Because there is something called the Child’s Right Act and I said it from the onset, that is no more business as usual. “These children must be considered, their future must be considered, the future of the children to come out of their marriage must be considered. “So I have gone to court. I have written him a letter and written a petition to the IG of police. “And I have filed for injunction to stop him from whatever he is planning to do on the 24th, until a thorough investigation is carried out on those girls, find out whether they gave their consent, their ages, find out the people marrying them. “As the speaker did not think about empowering these women or sending them to school or giving them some kind of training support financially. “The women affairs have decided to take it up and we are going to educate the children. “Those that do not want to go to school, we will train them in a skill, empower them with sustainable empowerment machines to enable that child build his or her life and make up her mind who and when to get married. “If for any reason the speaker tries to do contrary to what I have just mentioned, there will be a serious legal battle between him and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.” The minister added that based on the Child Rights Act, every child belongs to the state, hence the rights of every child will be protected from harm, violence, or anything that will infringe on their rights.