From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, Professor Mohammed Audu, and the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Salisu Usman, have been conferred with the Prestigious Fellowship of the Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP) in recognition of their contributions to peace scholarship, leadership, and the promotion of peace and security in Nigeria.

The Prestigious fellowship was conferred on Tuesday, 6th October 2026, during the 20th Annual International Conference and General Assembly of the Society for Peace Studies and Practice, held at Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State.

According to the statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Uredo Omale which was made available to journalists in Lokoja on Wednesday, the conferment followed the nomination of the two university leaders by the Society’s National Working Committee and subsequent approval by its Board of Trustees.

The statement indicates that “The Society for Peace Studies and Practice is a professional umbrella organisation for peace scholars and practitioners, committed to fostering collaboration towards sustainable peace and development in Africa.

“It promotes non-violent approaches to conflict resolution through research, strategic advocacy, and practical interventions, while also facilitating seminars, international conferences, workshops, public lectures, and other scholarly engagements on peace, security, and development”

Responding to the honour, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council and the Vice-Chancellor expressed their heartfelt appreciation to the Society for Peace Studies and Practice for the recognition.

They commended the leadership of the Society for identifying and recognising their contributions, while reaffirming their commitment to supporting initiatives that promote peaceful coexistence, conflict resolution, and sustainable development.

They also acknowledged the important role of professional bodies and academic institutions in advancing peace scholarship, research, and practice.

They stressed the need for sustained collaboration among scholars, practitioners, government institutions, and other stakeholders in addressing contemporary challenges relating to peace and security.

The ceremony featured the formal investiture of the two university leaders as Prestigious Fellows of the Society for Peace Studies and Practice, with the presentation of Fellowship certificates and plaques.

By Nick Ibe, Abuja

A 14-day ultimatum has been given the Federal government to release funds for the implementation of the recently signed 2026 Agreement and pay outstanding arrears, failing which the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, will shut down universities.

Following the threat, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, is said to be desperately making moves to avert the strike, by assuring that the funds would be released on or before next week.

At its 56th National Executive Council, NEC, meeting held at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, at the weekend, SSANU took the decision to down tools if the funds are not released.

Consequently, a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by its national president, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, SSANU noted that the arrears constitute legitimate financial entitlements of affected members and must be paid in full without further delay.

The communiqué stated that the meeting deliberated extensively on developments affecting the Nigerian university system, the welfare of members of the union and other issues of national importance, including the implementation of the 2026 FGN/SSANU Agreement, funding of universities, security, the economy and cost of living, public education, accreditation of university programmes, food security, technology and cybersecurity, energy, the rule of law and the general state of the nation.

The communique read:

“NEC acknowledged that implementation of the 2026 FGN/SSANU Agreement, which took effect from January 1, 2026, notwithstanding its formal signing on June 29, 2026, has commenced in some universities.

“NEC, however, expressed serious concern that implementation remains incomplete and uneven across the university system as a result of funding and administrative challenges.

“NEC categorically demanded the immediate release and payment of all outstanding arrears arising from the implementation of the 2026 FGN/SSANU CONTTA salary structure, calculated from the effective date of January 1, 2026.

“NEC stressed that these arrears constitute legitimate financial entitlements of affected members and must be paid in full without further delay. NEC further observed that universities which have so far implemented the CONTTA salary structure did so largely through internally sourced funds, without direct cash backing from the Federal Government.

“NEC therefore called on vice-chancellors and governing councils of universities that are yet to implement the financial and non-financial components of the 2026 FGN/SSANU Agreement to draw lessons from institutions that have taken proactive steps to implement the Agreement in the interest of staff welfare, industrial harmony and improved organisational performance.”

“Conclusively, NEC, in session, after exhaustive deliberations on the continued non-release of funds for the implementation of the 2026 FGN/SSANU Agreement, issued the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to release the required funds and ensure the full payment of all outstanding CONTTA arrears.

“NEC stressed that members have waited sufficiently for the benefits of an Agreement already concluded and therefore demand immediate and full compliance within the stipulated period.”

However, the SSANU president informed that the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, had assured them that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation was working hard to ensure that the funds were released by next week at the latest.

Comrade Mohammed said the release of the funds, as promised, before the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum would avert the situation.

In his words:

“At this juncture, I must inform you, comrades, that just before this press briefing, I received a call from the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, informing me of the current progress being made on the release of the money.

“He just confirmed to me that the Director of Funds in the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Accountant-General’s Office had confirmed that the money would be released on or before next week. We hope this will be done. And if that is done, it will avert the situation. Otherwise, our ultimatum stands.”

On the payment of the outstanding two months’ withheld salaries and one-year arrears of the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increases, “NEC expressed serious concern over the continued non-payment of the remaining two months’ salaries withheld during the 2022 industrial action and categorically demanded the immediate release and payment of the outstanding two months’ salaries to all affected members.”

The SSANU NEC further demanded the immediate release and payment of the outstanding one-year arrears arising from the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increases, stressing that these are legitimate entitlements due to affected university workers and should no longer be subjected to further delay.

“NEC therefore called on the Federal Government to take immediate steps to settle these outstanding obligations in full, in order to address the financial hardship being experienced by affected members and demonstrate commitment to the welfare of university workers.”

SSANU further expressed concern over the uneven implementation of the Agreement in state-owned universities and noted the varying experiences across institutions, including developments in Ondo, Delta and Kaduna states.

“NEC strongly called on state governments and governing councils of state universities to ensure full and equitable implementation of the Agreement and to provide the necessary funding for its execution. NEC maintained that staff of state universities must not be treated as lesser partners in the Nigerian University System and cautioned that selective or delayed implementation could undermine industrial harmony.”

From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

The Kogi State Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project has commenced the distribution of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards to 12,112 adolescent girls enrolled as second-cohort beneficiaries under the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) component of the project.

The distribution exercise which started on Wednesday is being implemented across the three senatorial districts of Kogi State, is designed to facilitate beneficiaries’ access to their designated financial channels and ensure that eligible adolescent girls are adequately reached under the CCT intervention.

The CCT component is one of the interventions of the Kogi AGILE Project aimed at supporting adolescent girls to remain in school, transition successfully, and overcome some of the financial barriers that may affect their education.

Speaking during the exercise, the State Project Coordinator (SPC), Kogi AGILE Project, Alhaji Ahmed Tijani Oricha, reiterated the project’s commitment to ensuring that eligible beneficiaries receive the necessary support under the programme.

He explained that the distribution of ATM cards represents an important stage in the implementation of the CCT intervention, as it provides beneficiaries with the financial access required to receive the support provided under the programme.

Alhaji Oricha urged the beneficiaries and their parents or guardians to make responsible use of the intervention, stressing the importance of the support in promoting girls’ education and encouraging beneficiaries to remain committed to their studies.

He also called on school principals, parents, community stakeholders, and other relevant actors to support the successful implementation of the programme by ensuring that beneficiaries are properly guided and protected throughout the process.

The CCT Lead, Kunle Mumini, said the second cohort comprises 12,112 eligible adolescent girls whose ATM cards are being distributed as part of efforts to strengthen the delivery of the CCT intervention.

According to him, the distribution is being organized across the three senatorial districts to improve accessibility, reduce the burden of traveling long distances for beneficiaries, and ensure that the exercise reaches eligible girls across the state.

He further encouraged beneficiaries and their parents to cooperate with officials during the exercise and ensure that all required procedures are followed for proper documentation and accountability.

The commencement of the second-cohort ATM card distribution builds on the experience of the first cohort of the CCT intervention, which targeted 13,359 adolescent girls in all transitioning classes across Kogi State.

The first cohort was designed to support girls at critical transition points in their education, particularly as they move from one level of schooling to another. The continuation of the intervention with a second cohort underscores the project’s broader focus on improving girls’ access to and retention in education.

Some beneficiaries who spoke during the exercise expressed appreciation for the support, noting that the intervention would provide additional encouragement for them to remain focused on their education.

Parents and guardians also welcomed the initiative, with some describing the CCT support as an important intervention for families facing financial challenges associated with keeping their daughters in school.

School principals and administrators participating in the exercise similarly emphasised the importance of collaboration among schools, parents, communities and the AGILE Project in ensuring that the intervention achieves its intended objectives.

The distribution exercise is expected to continue across the three senatorial districts, with project officials working with relevant stakeholders to ensure that all eligible beneficiaries under the second cohort are adequately reached.
Ends.