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Showing posts from July 21, 2013

ASUU threatens to prolong strike

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Posted by: funmi ojroye Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Benin zone, on Friday threatened that the ongoing strike embarked upon by the union could be prolonged if President Goodluck Jonathan repeated the mistakes of previous administrations. Addressing journalists at the University of Benin main campus, Coordinator of the zone and member of the National Executive Council of ASUU, Dr. Sunny Ighalo, said the strike could be indefinite if government remained insensitive to lecturers’ plight and refused to honour the agreement it had with the union. Giving an update on the three-week strike, Ighalo said this time around, the action would be total and comprehensive in all Nigerian universities. Ighalo said members would not shift ground except government honoured the agreement it entered into with ASUU, adding that members would not yield to government’s threat of no-work-no-pay rule. He said, “It is clear that the Jonathan government has not learnt an...

Sympathy for China airport blast protestor

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by AFP  and Funmi Ojuroye July 21, 2013 , 1 : 32 pm Policemen and security personnel work at the arrival gate B where an explosion occurred at the Terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport July 20, 2013. Photo - REUTERS/Jason Lee Chinese citizens expressed support on Sunday for a disabled man who set off an explosion at Beijing's international airport, injuring himself in an apparent protest against police brutality. Messages of support posted online came after reports said 34-year old Ji Zhongxing was driven to the act by a years-long battle for justice after being severely beaten by police. Wheelchair-bound Ji warned passengers in the airport before detonating the small device late on Saturday in an apparent attempt to draw attention to his case without harming others, the Beijing News reported. A policeman who rushed to the scene was the only other person injured in the explosion, the state-run China Radio International said. "He warned tho...

I’ve no mandate from Akpabio to kill Senator Etok, suspect tells SSS

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A suspected assassin, alleged by Senator Aloysius Etok to have been sent by Akwa Ibom state Governor, Godswill Akpabio to kill him, has told the State Security Service (SSS) that the Senator was a liar. He explained he never at any time, told the Senator that he was sent by the Governor to kill him. The SSS, while parading the suspect before the media yesterday in Abuja, said that Etok had filed a letter titled “Report of planned assassination by a man who calls himself General Africa (an ex-militant)”, with the Service, which made it swung into action that led to the arrest of the suspect, Adelola Tamunotonye Olaore. Deputy Director Press of the SSS, Marilyn Ogar, who while briefing journalists, said that the Senator claimed in his letter that on April 28, Olaore telephoned and introduced himself as General Africa claiming that he had been contracted by Governor Akpabio’s loyalists to assassinate him. Ogar, who said that Etok was asked to play along, told journalists that sub...

Why I visited Obasanjo at Abeokuta – Pres. Jonathan explains

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President Goodluck Jonathan has confirmed meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday in his residence in Owu, Abeokuta, Ogun State. He told newsmen that although he was in Abeokuta to pay condolence visit to his Special Adviser, Reuben Abati whose mother was buried on Friday, he could not have come to the Ogun State capital where the former president resides, and not pay him a visit. Coming to Abeokuta and not visiting Obasanjo, he said, would have make some people speculate that there was a problem between them. He said: “It is true we saw President Obasanjo in his house because we came here to Abeokuta to commiserate with Abati who buried his mother yesterday. And knowing that Abati’s house is at the backyard of Obasanjo’s house, it will not be good if we come and not visit him.” “Even the man himself will not be happy if we don’t visit him. I am like a son to Obasanjo,” he added. Dressed in a black flowing agbada and a Yoruba cap to match, President J...