THE ICONS ORGANIZATION

Adedoyin Oguntade  The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) embarked on a 7-day warning strike on Monday to compel the government to pay their withheld salaries. The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of unions recently declared a strike, expressing their efforts to engage in dialogue with the Nigerian government. The issue stems from President Bola Tinubu's decision to pay four months' worth of withheld salaries to academic university staff while neglecting non-academic staff. Previously, during former President Muhammadu Buhari's tenure, university workers faced withheld salaries due to a prolonged strike in 2022. Despite the current administration's payment of four months' salaries to ASUU members, concerns arise for SSANU, NASU, and NAAT members who are yet to receive their withheld payments. Despite SSANU and NASU's request for salary payments in li...

Ayanfe Oluwafemi The recent reopening of the tuition fee portal at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) has cast a shadow over the academic aspirations of many students. A significant number of students who were only able to make partial payments at the beginning of the semester face the harsh reality of potentially having to discontinue their studies due to financial constraints.  On Wednesday, March 13th, the Division of Student Affairs at OAU reactivated the portal, allowing students who made partial payments at the beginning of the semester to settle their outstanding balances. Interviews with students in this category revealed anxieties about their ability to continue their studies. This concern stems from a 300% tuition fee increase for students implemented in August 2022. To ease the burden, the university initiated a two-part payment plan. However, students who fail to pay at least half of the fees cannot register for courses. While a benevolent alumni group offer...

Adedoyin Oguntade  After the recent demonstration at Awolowo Hall on Monday, March 4, due to water supply issues, promising actions have been taken to address the situation. The residents at Awolowo Hall expressed their concerns at the porters' lodge, particularly emphasizing the challenges during exams. The Chairman of Awolowo Hall assured students that efforts would be made in collaboration with the Students' Union to provide a water tanker for the hostel. Subsequently, a water tanker was delivered to the reservoir near the residence hall, granting students crucial water access. Students were seen collecting water from the reservoir both on Monday night and on Tuesday morning. There was also relief as the recently upgraded borehole in blocks 3 and 4 was activated, ensuring a more dependable water supply for the students. Nonetheless, in Fajuyi hall, the dam water and the borehole water are already available again. The only issue is that it has not gotten to everyo...