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We lost more than 100 members during the last strike….chairman asuu unimaid branch

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We lost more than 100 members during the last strike….chairman asuu unimaid branch

By: Bodunrin Kayode

The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (asuu) University of Maiduguri (unimaid) branch Dr Habu Mshelia has said that over 100 of his colleagues lost their lives during the eight months strike in 2022.

He regretted that most of them died because they could not afford the treatment of themselves during the 2022 strike carried out by asuu under the late President Muhammadu Buhari.

Responding to a question by this reporter during an exclusive interview, Dr Mshelia posited that the union has a comprehensive list of members buried during the eight months strike of 2022 under President Mohammadu Buhari adding that 50 was a mere understatement of deceased colleagues during that sad period.

“I can tell you we buried not less than 100 of our members and these are committed academics, Professors, PhD holders who have been serving the nation in this University. They all perished within the eight months of the last strike and the government is still indignant about our demands.” Said Meshelia.

Speaking on the recent loan the federal government dangled to members of ASUU to accept as an alternative to what they are being owed, he dismissed the offer as a mere distraction to their focus on getting what is rightly theirs.

” Let me tell you this. In the history of Universities globally, no where have we heard that academic unions are dragged into matters of loans by the government of that nation.

“Also to the best of our knowledge, that has never happened in the history of this country but it came up under this federal government and one thing we must tell you is that, we have our unpaid monies with them.

“We also have salary promotion arrears and three and a half months salaries unpaid yet all of a sudden, the same government is saying we should come and take loans. Loans for what?

“It means they have the money to pay our withheld salaries, promotion arrears and also to sign into law our agreement on the review of salaries of members but they refused to put pen to paper by putting all our demands aside.

” In view of this we reject their loan offer because it is just a method to further impoverish out members. We reject it vehemently. We are already indebted in many ways by our corporative and other sources so this will further compound issues.

“We just told you in the news conference that a retired Professor is given a paltry N150,000 after 40 years of service to a rich country like Nigeria. Is that not absurd?

“The average take home of Professors in other climes is around 3,000 to 5000 dollars. Therefore, if you convert his take home of 450k at the bar, and divide by 1500, what will be left with will shock you. The Prof is left with nothing. And this is why we are vehemently rejecting this loan of a thing they brought before us.” Maintained the chairman.

On the 35 percent wage award pronouncement made by the late President Buhari at the peak of the crisis to Professors, Dr Meshlia maintained that it was a tactical distraction against the focus of the agreement adding that “we don’t want to put so much of our weight on that and miss our focus.”

He emphasised that the agreement was paramount to asuu because it would shake the foundation of most of their pending challenges and the future of the entire University system.

Hear him: “what we are saying is that, we have come to an agreement with your subjects you sent to us, and before we discussed we examined and confirmed that they really came from you. We have negotiated our wages and you refused to sign the agreement.

“We are talking about increments that are our statutory rights. If they have done that to every one in the nation they can’t exclude us, it must be extended to our members, that is what we are saying.”

On security of his colleagues living on campus which is at the fringes of the Sambisa forest, Mshelia went on: “Our security first starts with our wages. If you give us a very good wage, then you are guaranteeing our security. If you don’t give us what is expected, that means you are overworking our members who are staying long hours where they are not supposed to be trying to meet up with extra work to take care of their families and that itself is overworking them.

“But if i must speak on insecurity, I would say it is a nationwide issue not only in unimaid. Universities were shut down in other parts of the country due to insecurity. But one thing you must give to us here is that throughout the insurgency this university has not been shut down but the govt has shut it down by itself by not meeting the demands of our members. The action of government is gross insecurity itself.” concluded the chairman.

The unimaid branch of asuu recently went on a massive campus enlightenment campaign aimed at calling the attention of their proprietor the Federal government to their unpaid salaries and matters arising from the unsigned 2021 agreement they had.

We lost more than 100 members during the last strike….chairman asuu unimaid branch

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RHI Flow With Confidence program Launched across Nigeria

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RHI Flow With Confidence program Launched across Nigeria

“Don’t Allow Shame or Stigma Affect Your Confidence” – Senator Oluremi Tinubu to School Girls at the Launch of Flow With Confidence Program in Maiduguri, Borno State

By: Our Reporter

The Flow With Confidence program, a vital menstrual health intervention, is designed to empower schoolgirls with knowledge, build confidence, and promote improved menstrual hygiene. The initiative targets 370,000 beneficiaries, mostly from rural communities who struggle to access hygienic care while in school.

Launched simultaneously in seven states – Borno, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kebbi, and Lagos – by the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the program provides each beneficiary with a one-year supply of disposable sanitary pads.

At the official launch in Maiduguri, the First Lady was represented by the Wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima. She stressed that it is unacceptable for young girls to face significant challenges during their menstrual cycle, often forcing them to miss school days because they cannot afford sanitary pads.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu noted that many girls resort to unhygienic alternatives, hence the introduction of Flow With Confidence as a safe, hygienic option to enhance reproductive wellbeing. Each state under the initiative will have 10,000 beneficiaries.

Encouraging the girls, the First Lady urged them not to allow shame or stigma to affect their confidence but to boldly pursue their dreams as future leaders of the nation. She further called on corporate organizations and well-meaning individuals to support the program, while charging traditional, religious, and community leaders to ensure transparent distribution in their localities.

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, represented by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Umar Usman Kadafur, expressed the government’s profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose leadership continues to rekindle hope and restore dignity to countless families by prioritizing economic empowerment as a driver of national development.

The Governor also commended the First Lady for addressing an often-neglected aspect of girls’ and women’s dignity and reproductive health.

Similarly, the Borno State RHI Coordinator and Wife of the Governor, Dr. Falmata Umara Zulum, lauded the First Lady’s commitment to caring for the most vulnerable in society through her numerous interventions under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), complementing the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Meanwhile, the First Lady also handed over assorted food items to the Borno State RHI Coordinator, Dr. Falmata Babagana Zulum, for onward distribution to vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities. This places Borno among the beneficiaries of the monthly RHI Food Outreach Scheme, flagged off in March 2024 with support from two leading industrialists.

RHI Flow With Confidence program Launched across Nigeria

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Fagbemi Calls for Appellate Mechanism in ECOWAS Court

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Fagbemi Calls for Appellate Mechanism in ECOWAS Court

…Insists Absence of Appellate Court at Regional Level Undermines Access to Justice

By: Michael Mike

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi has called for the establishment of an appellate mechanism within the ECOWAS Court of Justice, stating that the absence of such mechanism continued to undermine access to justice in the region.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2025/2026 legal year of ECOWAS Court, Fagbemi said while the finality of judgments is crucial, fairness also demands that decisions be open to review in order to correct possible errors of law or procedure.

Fagbemi while noting that the absence of appellate court at the regional level is a letdown, said: “It is concerning that there is currently inadequate room for appeal against the judgments of the ECOWAS Court. While finality is important, justice must also be seen to be fair and revisable,” insisting that: “The absence of a separate appellate mechanism limits access to justice. As we expand the Court’s reach, we must also ensure that its decisions are subject to the same standards of review and accountability that underpin robust judicial systems.”

He urged the Court to draw lessons from other regional judicial institutions such as the European Court of Human Rights, the East African Court of Justice and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which, according to him, offer valuable models of transparency, judicial independence and procedural innovation.

He however restated Nigeria’s support for the ECOWAS Court as host country, describing it as central to regional integration, human rights enforcement and stability. “Nigeria remains steadfast in its support for the ECOWAS Court of Justice… I pledge to continue advocating for legal reforms that align domestic laws with regional obligations while respecting our constitutional order and national interests,” Fagbemi added.

Also speaking, the President of Cabo Verde, José Neves, said community justice remains vital for Africa’s credibility in global affairs. He stressed that strengthening institutions such as the ECOWAS Court was essential for peace, democracy and integration on the continent.

He said: “In a continent still marked by border disputes and recurring tensions, the existence of an independent and respected community tribunal is a civilisational triumph that we must preserve and enhance,” Neves said. He noted that access to the Court by individual citizens was one of the most significant gains of regional integration, as it brings justice closer to the people.

Neves also called for reforms within African sub-regional bodies to make them more effective in addressing contemporary challenges such as insecurity, institutional fragility, migration and climate change.

In his address, the President of the ECOWAS Court, Justice Ricardo Goncalves, disclosed that the Court handled 34 new cases in the past year, including matters relating to civil and political rights, economic freedoms, and disputes between member states.

He also revealed that the Court held 79 judicial sessions and issued 54 rulings, many of which reaffirmed key principles such as the justiciability of socio-economic rights and the supremacy of community law over conflicting national legislation. According to him, 112 cases are currently pending before the Court.

Fagbemi Calls for Appellate Mechanism in ECOWAS Court

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Trans-Border Security: Zulum travels to Niger Republic Community

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Trans-Border Security: Zulum travels to Niger Republic Community

By: Michael Mike

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum on Wednesday, undertook a working visit to Diffa Region of Niger Republic on Wednesday.

The visit, which included a high-level security and economic delegation, focused on strengthening the existing collaboration between Nigerian and Nigerien forces in the ongoing fight against insurgency, particularly around the shores of Lake Chad.

Diffa is a community 17 km from Damasak town in northern Borno where thousands of Nigerians displaced by Boko Haram insurgency are currently taking refuge.

Zulum was received by the Governor of Diffa, Brigadier General Mahamaduo Ibrahim Bagadoma, and other senior officials. The leaders held closed-door meetings centered on joint patrols, intelligence sharing, and sustaining the recent gains that have pushed insurgents out of many of their former strongholds.

Zulum outlined plan to leverage the improved security situation to facilitate the return of thousands of displaced farmers to the vast and fertile agricultural lands around Dutchi town within the Lake Chad basin.

Part of the Governor’s entourage are Engr Bukar Talba, a member of the House of Representatives, Speaker, Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, and otheir senior government officials.
[10/2, 6:35 PM] Mike Olugbode: Maiduguri: For Over a Month, MSF Responds to High Numbers of Children Suffering from Malnutrition.

Since late August and early September, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams have scaled up their medical response in Maiduguri, northeast Nigeria, following a sharp rise in malnutrition cases that overwhelmed MSF-supported facilities. Although admissions have slightly decreased now, the number of children receiving treatment remains very high.

“A month ago, we witnessed a worrying increase in admissions, compounded by a surge in measles cases,” said MSF Project Coordinator Daniela Batista. “Our isolation units for measles patients were quickly filled, and even the additional space we opened reached capacity. Now, those units remain around 70 percent full.”

Since 8 September, MSF’s Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Centre (ITFC) at Nilefa Kiji Hospital (NKH) has nearly doubled its bed capacity to accommodate the influx of malnourished children. By the third week of September, the emergency facility was recording an average of more than 85 new admissions daily.
In a context of reduced global humanitarian funding, some organizations in Maiduguri reduced their support for – or even left – nutritional outpatient nutrition programmes, causing a significant drop in access for first line care fir malnourished children.
 
At MSF’s extension facility in Shuwari, teams treated 3,265 children for malnutrition and referred 1,521 others for continued care between August and early September, when the upsurge began. More than 625 malnourished children have also been treated for measles — a disease which can contribute to malnutrition and whose complications can result from malnutrition.
 
The situation is further exacerbated by shortages of essential supplies. Therapeutic milk — critical for treating severe acute malnutrition — is in short supply, while access to ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) remains a chronic concern. Some partner ITFCs have indicated they can only accept referrals if MSF provides additional medical supplies such as antibiotics, admission kits, and therapeutic milk.
MSF teams also reported regular admissions of patients from Zabarmari — a community they are currently unable to access due to security and logistical challenges. MSF is engaging with the Borno State Ministry of Health to assess and potentially support the local Primary Health Centre (PHC) to ensure residents can access care.

Borno State continues to face the effects of a decade-long insurgency, with recent reports of violence in areas surrounding Maiduguri.

This surge in Maiduguri mirrors an alarming trend seen in all MSF nutrition facilities across Kebbi, Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, and Bauchi in recent months. According to UN estimates, 2.5 million children across northeast Nigeria are at risk of acute malnutrition.

MSF called on health authorities and humanitarian organizations to urgently address the shortages in medical supplies and staffing, and to strengthen community-level health systems to prevent further deterioration.

Trans-Border Security: Zulum travels to Niger Republic Community

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