The group’s position is contained in a statement jointly issued by the chairman and secretary of the union, Michael Ugwuene and Paul Nwiyi, and made available in Umuahia on Saturday.

The statement is entitled, “Failure of Government: Collective bargaining agreement is the way forward.”

It stated that CONUASS awarded increases of 35 per cent and 25 per cent of current salaries to Professors at bar, and other ranks, respectively.

It argued that the review was prepared by the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission and presented to the Prof. Nimi-Briggs-led FG/ASUU Renegotiation Committee, without inputs from ASUU.

“The crux of this matter is that the award is unilateral and a total breach of the provisions of all national and international legislations on which the Collective Bargaining Agreement is based,” the group stated.

It stated that the renegotiation process ought to have inputs of both government and ASUU teams as required by Trade Dispute Act of 1976; ILO Conventions 49 of 1948, amongst others.

“A negotiated salary, needless to say, affords industrial harmony because the worker has made an input.

“A negotiated salary is a right, an awarded salary is potentially arbitrary and is just that: an award,” the statement reads in part.

It further stated that none of the issues that precipitated the six-month old strike, including salary, had been squarely addressed.

READ ALSO: ASUU strike: How issues can be resolved soon -Presidency

“Not even the issues that have no financial implications, like a commitment to adopt UTAS and the release of the Visitation Panel White Paper to the respective universities,” it added.

The group frowned at the committee’s resolve to push the payment of the Earned Academic Allowances to the individual universities.

It further expressed concern that rather than apply for a supplementary budget for its N170 billion revitalisation pledge, the federal government decided to shift the fund to the 2023 budget.

The union, therefore, called on well-meaning Nigerians to appeal to the government to quickly resume and conclude the ongoing re-negotiation “to enable our students go back to campuses.”

Source: NAN

The post Strike: MOUAU-ASUU rejects FG’s new salary structure for lecturers appeared first on Frontpageng.

Okafor, a Professor of Biochemical Toxicology, said this at the 52nd inaugural lecture at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, MOUAU, on Wednesday.

Okafor said some reported chronic cassava cyanide diseases were based on circumstantial evidence.

He admitted that the cassava cyanide toxicity with the associated chronic diseases should be a major concern for populations using the staple food, but added that he had overwhelming evidence from the result of his over 27 years research on cassava cyanide, supported by results of other researchers, to back his claim.

Okafor said that some of those reported cases of chronic diseases could be as a result of malnutrition that plagued the countries or iodine deficiency as in the case of goitre or goitre with cretinism.

Okafor delivered a stimulating lecture, entitled “Metabolism of cassava cyanide and Jim Jones cyanide in humans: The imperative of food safety in the quest for food security.”

He said cassava could be processed into garri in a way that the residual cyanide content would be very low and would also have low glycemic index, thus could be consumed by diabetic patient.

He recommended that cassava and its products should be given a good priority to boost the economy and food security of the nation, and called on the federal government to rise to the challenge of ensuring that foods, drinks, water and the environment do not contain toxicants and chemical carcinogens beyond the acceptable limits.

In his remarks, MOUAU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Maduebibisi Iwe, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Prof. Herbert Udo, congratulated Okafor on his research and thought-provoking lecture.

“He has spoken to us soundly as a professor and as a scientist and we must appreciate him,” he said.

Source: NAN

The post Cassava, not cause of diabetes, goitre –Researcher appeared first on Frontpageng.