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NHRC Says ASUU Strike, Denial of Students Rights To Education

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NHRC Says ASUU Strike, Denial of Students Rights To Education

NHRC Says ASUU Strike, Denial of Students Rights To Education

By: Michael Mike

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has described incessant strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as deprivation of Nigeria’s students enjoyment of their rights to education.

In a statement released to the media on Monday by spokesperson of the Commission, Fatimah Mohammed, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Chief Tony Ojukwu expressed deep concern over the incessant strikes by ASUU, lamenting that such actions have become the gravest threat to the Nigerian university system, in particular, and the Nigerian education sector in general. 

He observed that Nigerian students have been deprived of the enjoyment of their right to education over the years, and this has made them victims of industrial disharmony  between the federal government and ASUU. 

He decried that ASUU has been embarking on incessant nationwide strikes, during which students have lost cumulative period of years of the academic calendar. 

He said that the effect of ASUU strikes has been devastating to the Nigerian university system by way of  watering down the quality of education offered to Nigerian students, while expressing disappointment that the government will allow this kind of situation to linger thereby jeopardizing the future of the youth as leaders of tomorrow. 

He lamented that academic performance of these students have been adversely affected, and the entire educational system almost crippled. 

Ojukwu who said he was pained by the situation, further stated that “the situation has resulted in half-baked students and graduates who are unemployable and lack the basic skills necessary to survive dynamic environments like Nigeria and the rest of the world” 

He however appealed to the federal government to get back to the negotiation table with ASUU and to ensure that the previous agreements reached with the union are implemented honestly to the best of its ability to avoid further escalation of the matter.

Similarly, Ojukwu urged ASUU to think out of the box for other strategies not using incessant strikes to press for their demands as this strike strategy has killed education in this country. 

Also Read: Nigeria: Police killed 5 IPOB members, recovers bomb in Imo

He noted that poor funding of universities, lack of payment of promotion arrears, earned academic allowance, poor funding of state universities etc, as demanded by ASUU are genuine concerns that the government should not overlook, given that they are germane to the growth of the universities. 

He advised National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS), not to do anything that will violate the rights of other Nigerians, like blocking of federal highways, as its South-West branch allegedly did recently, saying that such action is a clear violation of the rights of other road users.

 He further pointed that although students have the right to express their grievances, they should always do so in a most civilised and human right friendly manner where the rights of every one is respected. 

Ojukwu said it is necessary to immediately resolve the impasse between ASUU and FG, to prevent further collateral damage to our educational sector. 

He said: “As things are today, educational tourism by Nigerians to even smaller countries in West Africa, Europe and Americas is mind bugging,” noting that “all this has resulted in huge loss of resources to other countries. Most students, after a prolonged stay at home, start venturing into unholy acts making some of them not to return to school when the industrial actions are over. 

“There are others who out of boredom and want of what to do resort to crime and criminal activities such as advanced fee fraud, drug peddling and use, gambling, robbery and kidnapping as well as other vices. some of the ladies become susceptible to abusive relationships, unwanted pregnancies, prostitution and low morale and esteem.”

He said: “We must prevent all these from happening, let’s join hands to protect our children’s future by advocating  for their rights to better education through stoppage of incessant strikes and improvement in attention to education in the country.”

NHRC Says ASUU Strike, Denial of Students Rights To Education

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VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

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VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

By: Michael Mike

Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed deep grief over the passing of prominent Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, saying the nation has lost an irreplaceable institution.

The late Dantata, an uncle of Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, passed away at the age of 94 in Abu Dhabi in the early hours of Saturday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Mustapha Abdullahi Junaid, his Personal Private Secretary (PPS), who confirmed the death.

In a condolence message, Vice President Shettima praised the late businessman for his lifetime of service, describing him as “a living bridge that connected us to our past.

“We have not just lost a leader; we have lost an irreplaceable institution,” Senator Shettima said, describing Dantata as “one of the greatest titans in Nigeria’s philosophical history” whose departure marks the end of a vital chapter in the country’s economic and democratic evolution.

“In African tradition, when such an elderly person transitions, a vital chapter of our history departs with them. He was indeed among the great titans, a living bridge that connected us to our past,” VP Shettima added.

The Vice President extended heartfelt condolences to the Dantata family, expressing hopes that they would “find the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” even as he prayed that Almighty Allah would grant the deceased Jannatul Firdaus.

Born into the legendary Dantata family of Kano, Alhaji Aminu built on his father’s commercial legacy to become one of Nigeria’s most influential business figures. His empire spans construction, manufacturing, banking, agriculture, and the oil and gas sectors.

Beyond business, Dantata was renowned for his extensive philanthropic work, funding schools, mosques, health centres, and supporting widows and the underprivileged across Nigeria.

VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

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Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

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Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

By: Michael Mike

The Senior Officials Meeting between Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.

A statement on Saturday by the Press Officer, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Modestus Chukwulaka, read: “The Delegation of European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS wishes to inform that the Senior Officials Meeting between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja.

“The agenda of the very important meeting is to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.”

According to the statement, the Senior Officials Meeting will be co-chaired by the Regions, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, Ambassador Janet Olisa, Director, and the Deputy Managing Director for Africa Department, European External Action Service, European Union, Mr Mathieu Briens.

The statement revealed that the agenda of the meeting is expected to entail wide-ranging discussions that would focus on various aspects of the Nigeria – EU partnership, such as: Cooperation on multilateral and regional issues; Peace, Security and Governance; Humanitarian situation; Trade and Investment; Human Development: Health, Education, Social Protection; Science, technology, innovation and digital transition; Migration; Energy, climate change and green economy transition among others.

Nigeria and the European Union share a deep, long-standing partnership inspired by mutual values and interests as well as support for multilateralism and rule-based international order, the statement said.

Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

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Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People

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Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People


…. Donates relief materials to displaced persons in Yelwata, IDP camp

By: Michael Mike

Former Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri has charged former governors, legislators, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in Benue state to set aside rivalry, unite and act with urgency to save their people from incessant attacks and killings.

Waziri, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police and Principal Partner, Brookfield Chambers Abuja stated this on Saturday 28th June 2025 while donating relief materials to victims of the recent gunmen attacks in Yelwata community and displaced persons at the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Makurdi, the Benue state capital.

Some of the items donated under the banner of Women, Youth, Children and Crime Organisation (WYCCO), a non-governmental organization founded by her, include: bags of rice, sugar, tubers of yam and other household items.

She said: “This is no time for division. It is no time for political squabbling or ego-driven manoeuvring. Among us are men and women who have led this state — former governors, legislators, traditional rulers — individuals with influence and authority. The time has come to set aside our differences and stand united, for the sake of the ordinary Benue man, woman, and child.

“That is why I stand here today to make this urgent and heartfelt appeal to our leaders: cast aside rivalry, unite, and act. Act with urgency. Act with purpose. Because what we face now increasingly resembles a deliberate, coordinated effort to erase our people and our heritage.

“We must take heed of the words of Sir Winston Churchill, who once said:
‘Our difficulties and dangers will not be removed by closing our eyes to them.’
Another of Churchill’s warnings is just as relevant to our present predicament:
‘If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without bloodshed… you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival.”

Waziri, while stating that her call was a build up to the earlier proposal by President Bola Tinubu during his recent visit Beforehand Benue, noted that meetings alone would not solve the problem, urging that: “But let us be sincere: peace will not come from meetings alone. To end the cycle of violence, we must confront its roots. Before the Yelwata massacre, communities in Gwer West, Apa, and Guma had already endured weeks of killings, kidnappings, and raids. These horrors did not emerge in a vacuum; they are symptoms of deeper issues.

“We must therefore confront the real causes — ethnic and religious tensions, unchecked banditry, and the rise of cultism as well as the abuse of illicit drugs. These forces must be tackled, along with the herder-farmer conflict, with honesty and courage. We cannot afford to keep going in circles. And there is no room for blame games. Our leaders — and indeed, all of us — must be pragmatic. So today, let us commit, as one people, to healing our wounds, reclaiming our land, and ensuring that never again will a child in Benue grow up in a camp instead of a home”

She said the development in Benue must be of “concern to all sons and daughters of Benue regardless of whether we live within its borders or far away in the diaspora to find out the root cause of these attacks with a view to proferring solutions that will bring an end to these barbaric acts”

Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People

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