Headline

ASUU, Not Trouble Makers, Says Chairman

Published

1 year ago

June 25, 2024

Cross session of Education stakeholders

Dr Ibrahim Inuwa, the Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi state chapter, on Tuesday, said the union was not a trouble making one.

Inuwa, who stated this during a three-day Town Hall meeting for education stakeholders to sensitize them on the plights of its members, said sometimes, harsh decisions needed to be taken to enhance the education system of the country.

He explained that the meeting was to also call the attention of education stakeholders in Nigeria on what has been happening between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the government.

According to him, the meeting would also be used as an avenue to get feedback from the stakeholders as well as advice on how to go about the union’s struggle.

“The meeting is basically for us to rob minds with these stakeholders and to drive the misconception most stakeholders have about ASUU that we are trouble makers and that we don’t want peace.

“We had to call their attention that education is a business of everybody and that has been reflected in the spirit of our constitution.

“So, it’s an obligation of the government to provide education. It’s a right because the constitution of this country defines our sovereignty and that is where the politicians derive their power to rule us.

“What they are calling us to be troublemakers, we are not but if we have to get it right in this country, education must be given priority.

“We took them through our various troubles, the challenges we have been having, the nonchalant attitude of the government as well as other emerging issues that are coming up and this is where the trouble making issues came up.

“Most times we go for industrial action, people are quick to say that we should explore other avenues of negotiation and for more than one year, we have been trying to do that with this new regime.

“Before they came on board, they met with the union and they expressed concerns that they wanted to address this issue.

“Unfortunately, till now, there have been no meaningful commitments from the government to address this issue and it’s making the challenges in the Universities to be biting day by day,” he said.

The ASUU boss further said at the end of townhall meetings across the zones, ASUU National Executive Council would meet to harness all the views and opinions to enable it take a definite and lasting solution to the lingering crisis in the tertiary education sector.

Headline

Netanyahu Asks Israeli President For Pardon From Corruption Charges

Published

6 hours ago

November 30, 2025

Editor

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has asked the country’s president for a pardon in his long-running corruption case, saying the criminal proceedings are hindering his ability to govern and that ending the trial would benefit the nation.

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has denied the bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges.

His lawyers told the president’s office that he still believes the legal process will eventually lead to a complete acquittal.

“My lawyers sent a request for pardon to the president of the country today. I expect that anyone who wishes for the good of the country support this step,” Netanyahu said in a brief video statement released by his Likud party.

The prime minister, who has been on trial for five years, has not admitted guilt, and neither have his lawyers. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said Netanyahu should not receive a pardon unless he admits wrongdoing, expresses remorse and immediately withdraws from political life.

Pardons in Israel are usually granted only after a conviction, but Netanyahu’s lawyers argued the president can step in when public interest is at stake, saying intervention could help heal national divisions and promote unity.

President Isaac Herzog’s office described the request as “extraordinary” with “significant implications”. His office said the president “will responsibly and sincerely consider the request” after receiving the necessary opinions.

United States President, Donald Trump, recently wrote to Herzog urging him to consider approving the pardon, describing the case against Netanyahu as “a political, unjustified prosecution”.

Herzog’s office said the request will be sent to the justice ministry’s pardons department to gather assessments that will be forwarded to the president’s legal adviser, who will prepare a recommendation.

(Reuters)

Headline

US: Four Killed, 10 Others Wounded In California Shooting

Published

18 hours ago

November 30, 2025

Editor

Four people were confirmed dead and 10 others injured after a shooting at a family gathering in California, United States on Saturday night, according to US police, who described the attack as a “targeted incident.”

The incident occurred inside a banquet hall in Stockton, northeast of San Francisco, shortly before 6:00 pm, spokesperson for the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, Heather Brent, told reporters during a news briefing.

Brent said the victims, ranging from “juveniles to adults,” were rushed to nearby hospitals, noting that details about the shooting remained limited.

“What we have confirmed at this time is that there was a banquet hall where a family was celebrating. We have 14 victims of this shooting. Four of those are deceased,” Brent said.

“Early indications suggest that this may be a targeted incident. Investigators are exploring all possibilities at this time.”

The sheriff’s office posted on social media that detectives were “working to determine the circumstances leading up to this tragedy.”

“We are urging anyone with information, video footage, or who may have witnessed any part of this incident to contact the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office immediately,” the post added.

Authorities said no suspect had been identified at the time of the report.

California Governor Gavin Newsom was briefed on the development, his office said in a social media statement.

Data from the Gun Violence Archive shows there have been 504 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, including the Stockton attack.

(AFP)

Headline

FULL LIST: US To Review Green Cards From 19 ‘Countries Of Concern’ After Washington Shooting

Published

2 days ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it will review the immigration status of all permanent residents, or “Green Card” holders, from Afghanistan and 18 other countries following the attack on National Guard troops in Washington, D.C.

U.S. officials identified the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting as a 29-year-old Afghan national who previously worked alongside American forces in Afghanistan.

The individual was granted asylum earlier this year, not permanent residency, according to AfghanEvac, an organisation that assists Afghans resettled in the United States after the Taliban takeover in 2021.

“I have directed a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” said Joseph Edlow, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), on X.

The review follows a June executive order from President Trump classifying 19 countries as “of Identified Concern.”

The order banned entry for nearly all nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan. The full list of these countries is:

Afghanistan

Myanmar

Chad

Congo-Brazzaville

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Haiti

Iran

Libya

Somalia

Sudan

Yemen

A partial travel ban applies to seven additional countries, though some temporary work visas remain allowed: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.