General
ASUU Gives February Deadline Before Planned Strike
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has decided to hold on till February before embarking on a nationwide industrial action.
This follows intervention from the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) which plans to avert the strike action as the federal government was yet to fully fulfil its agreement with the academic pressure group.
The 50-member NIREC, under the co-chairmanship of the Sultan of Sokoto, Mr Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III; and the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Mr Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, is also backed by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Bishop Mathew Kukah, among other Christian and Muslim leaders.
ASUU had resolved to embark on industrial action to compel the federal government to meet its demands since last year, threatening strike action among government-owned universities.
However, following the intervention of NIREC, ASUU has opted to go for more consultations and to give the government a few days within January 2022 to address all outstanding issues arising from the December 2020 Memorandum of Action (MoA).
In an interview with THISDAY Newspaper over the weekend, ASUU President, Mr Emmanuel Osodake, said that the union had agreed to wait till February.
He also added that it has also submitted its position to NIREC which promised to help mediate and resolve the issues.
“ASUU leadership has agreed to wait till February to give NIREC and other stakeholders enough room to address the union’s grievances,” he said.
The decision of ASUU to suspend action till February is seen as bowing to pressure from prominent Nigerians and the leadership of NIREC comprising of the Sultan of Sokoto, the president of the CAN and other stakeholders.
Mr Osodeke noted that ASUU would resist any attempt to blackmail it and derail its patriotic struggle for a productive university system “by official propaganda founded on tokenism and crumb-sharing”.
Its earlier statement had summed up the decisions reached at the emergency National Executive Council (NEC) of the union held at its National Secretariat, University of Abuja.
The meeting was meant to review the level of government’s implementation of the FGN-ASUU Memorandum of Action (MoA) of December 23, 2020, and other related matters to decide on the way forward.
In deciding to stay action on strike, Mr Osodake said: “NEC took full account of efforts by student union bodies, leading media organisations, traditional rulers, civil society organisations and other interest groups within and outside Nigeria to make government address all outstanding issues arising from the December 2020 MoA”.
In particular, the ASUU president said the union took special cognisance of the pledges made by the NIREC to make further consultations on the crisis in the coming days to find an amicable resolution.
He accused the government of reneging on its promise to set up an inter-ministerial committee to handle renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.
One of the issues in contention is the delay in approving the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) developed by ASUU.
ASUU said it was fully prepared to address all the reports of the “integrity test” on UTAS raised by the Nigeria Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to pave way for its deployment.
By Dipo Olowookere
The ex-depot prices of two major petroleum products, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, and Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), also known as diesel, have been slashed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals.
The company announced the reduction in prices of the products in a statement on Saturday evening.
The Lagos-based private refinery said its latest action was to reinforce its commitment to making refined petroleum products more affordable and supporting economic activities across Nigeria.
The cut in the prices of petrol and diesel by Dangote refinery comes as the global crude oil prices continue to moderate, amid expectations that the United States of America and Iran will agree on a ceasefire very soon and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
This narrow vessel passage accounts for 20 per cent of the world’s crude oil consumption. It has been closed for more than two months because of the Middle East crisis.
On February 28, 2026, America and Israel launched airstrikes in Iran, killing its Supreme Leader and other top government officials.
Iran fought back by attacking US bases in the Middle East, including in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and others. It also shut down the Strait of Hormuz, causing the price of oil to almost hit $120 per barrel.
The crisis faraway in the Middle East, rather than becoming a blessing to Nigeria, put citizens under untold hardship, as the price of petroleum products, especially PMS, jumped from around N800 per litre to almost N1,500 per litre.
On Friday, the price of Brent crude was about $94 per barrel, while the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was about $89 per barrel.
Ostensibly in response to this, the Dangote refinery has reduced the ex-depot price of petrol to N1,250 per litre from N1,275 per litre, while the price of diesel has been cut to N1,700 per litre from N1,800 per litre.
Since commencing operations, the 650,000 barrels per day refinery has increasingly supplied the domestic market with refined products aimed at eliminating the country’s dependence on imported fuels.
The company claimed it decided to slash the price to improve supply efficiency, deepen domestic refining, and provide cost relief to consumers and businesses that depend heavily on petroleum products for transportation, power generation and industrial operations.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), the umbrella body of customs agents in Nigeria, has petitioned President Bola Tinubu to compel the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to suspend the planned increase in shipping charges pending the review by the standing committee.
According to Mr Lucky Amiwero, the president of the body, in a letter to the President, the increase is a clear contravention of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in respect of local shipping charges between providers and users of shipping/Port and related service approved by the federal government.
The MoU under Articles 2(b)&4 clearly states that any other charges shall require agreement between the Parties concerned through the Nigerian Shippers Council, which must be complied with.
“In line with the provisions of Articles 2 and 4 of the Memorandum of Understanding, there is a need to follow the prescribed procedure as contained in the MOU. First is by submitting the information of the increase to the standing committee, including the detailed information, why the increase, and the percentage, to the standing committee for consideration and review of any increase
“We hereby request the suspension of any Local Shipping Charges increase, pending the review by the standing committee, which entails the detailed information of the increase, the Percentage (%), and if the Increase is necessary, to be sent to the standing Committee as approved by the Federal Government,” he said.
The official said the NSC were supposed to forward all detailed information on the increase in the local shipping charges to the standing committee, who are signatory to the MOU, and then to review in line with the approved federal government directive.
“We refer the government to the usual procedure of initiating an increase in local shipping charges. Notification of increase as proposed is always forwarded to the standing committee, reference 2003 NSC/TOD/FPS/011/VOL.V/54 OF 20TH JUNE, and NSC/TOD/FPS/011/VOL.35 OF 14TH April 2003 in line with article 2(b)&4 of the MOU.
“In line with Article 2(b)&4 of the memorandum of understanding, the request made by Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN), which was forwarded to the Shippers Council and the Shippers Council forwarded the same to the technical standing committee for review,” he added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The presidency has raised alarm over what it described as a growing pattern of digitally manipulated content aimed at exploiting religious sentiments for political purposes.
In a public service announcement issued by the Office of Digital Engagement and Strategy, it was disclosed that “deliberate attempts” to mislead Nigerians through deep fake videos and false narratives across online platforms had been identified.
According to the statement, a manipulated video surfaced on Tuesday, featuring altered audio and false attributions designed to portray President Bola Tinubu in a negative light.
It noted that a similar attempt followed shortly after, involving a fabricated video linked to a religious leader, allegedly intended to incite Muslim communities against the President.
The presidency said the recurring pattern suggests a coordinated effort to inflame religious tensions and sow division, particularly as political activities begin to intensify ahead of future elections.
It warned that “desperate actors” are likely to continue deploying misinformation tactics, including distorting religious messages, manipulating context, and spreading provocative content through social media and messaging platforms.
The presidency urged Nigerians to exercise caution before sharing sensitive or inflammatory content, encouraging citizens to question the motives behind such materials and to verify information through credible sources.
Describing the trend as “coordinated manipulation at scale,” it stressed that such actions are neither patriotic nor reflective of genuine political engagement.
The statement further warned that individuals and groups involved in the creation and dissemination of false information would be held accountable under relevant Nigerian laws, including those relating to cybercrime, incitement, and threats to public peace and national security.
It concluded by calling on citizens to remain vigilant and united in safeguarding the country’s social cohesion against digital disinformation.
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