Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Education, has dragged encouraged Nigerian students to drag the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to court for wasting their time during the six-month prolonged strike.

Speaking at the 47th Session of the State House Ministerial Briefing on Thursday, August 18, 2022, Adamu said the students should leave the Federal Government (FG) out of their worries, adding that ASUU should be the one they challenge in court over the strike.

While maintaining that the government would not concede to the union’s demand to pay lecturers their emoluments for the six months of no academic activities, the minister clarified that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government bears no liability to compensate the affected students.

He, however, said if the affected students are determined to get compensated for wasted time, they should consider holding ASUU responsible.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, on Thursday, August 18, 2022, announced the extension of the okada ban to more areas in the state.

Starting from Thursday, September 1, Sanwo-Olu maintained that the okada ban was thereby extended to four more Local Govt Areas and five Local Council Development Areas.

According to the governor, the additional councils where the Okada ban was pronounced include Kosofe Local Government, Oshodi-Isolo Local Government, Shomolu Local Government, and Mushin Local Government.

Below are areas where the okada ban first took place

Areas Okada operations are banned in Lagos

While the governor stated that the affected councils are Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Surulere, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, and Apapa, he equally maintained that the total ban on Okada operations is extended to all LCDAs under the listed councils.

Apapa
Apapa Iganmu  LCDA

Ikeja
Ojodu LCDA
Onigbongbo LCDA

Lagos Island
Lagos Island West LCDA
Lagos Island East LCDA

Lagos Mainland
Yaba LCDA

Surulere
Coker Aguda LCDA
Itire-Ikate LCDA

Eti-Osa
Eti-Osa East LCDA
Eti-Osa West LCDA
Iru Victoria Island LCDA
Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA

The National Strike Organising Committee of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has met to decide on the way forward concerning the ongoing strike by the union.

The committee is made up of senior officials of the union.

This is as our correspondent learnt that zonal meetings will commence by the end of the week after which branches would go ahead with congresses.

A member of the union’s National Executive Council, who did not want his name in print because he was not permitted to speak on the matter, disclosed this to The PUNCH.

“The National Strike Organising Committee will meet today (Wednesday), after which zonal meetings will commence this weekend and then congresses will be held.

“From there, information will be passed to our members on the next development; the president alone cannot decide, there are processes,” he said.

Meanwhile, ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, on Wednesday, August 17, 2022, urged Nigerian students not to vote for politicians who have their children studying in institutions outside the country.

Osodeke spoke on a Twitter Space Webinar organised by Premium Times and tagged, ‘ASUU strike, Revitalisation Fund, and the Way Forward.’

“Anybody you believe cannot take care of your interests, whose children are busy studying abroad, who are living abroad, don’t vote for them.

“I repeat, you don’t need to vote for them, because you don’t vote for people who will take your life,” he said.