CBN should ensure adequate supply of new notes within extension period-NASU UCH Chairman

The Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) has been called upon to ensure that there is adequate supply of the newly redesigned Naira notes within the period of extension of the deadline. This call was made on Tuesday by the chairman of the Non-Academic Staff and Associated Unions(NASU) University College Hospital(UCH)Ibadan, Nigeria, Comrade Kehinde Abiona. ''The policy is a welcome development because of what it is out to address. There is this notion that almost all the government policies are good, but the challenge arises during the implementation stage in addition to those responsible for the implementation. A lot of Nigerians who need money for their daily transactions are unable to access the new naira notes. They are passing through pains and agonies. I feel the pains and sufferings of people. The CBN should ensure that there is adequate supply of the nea naira notes within the extension period, otherwise the situation may not improve but go from bad to worse,'' Comrade Abiona stated.

Save Us from Developers and Power Outage-NASU UCH

Workers in the University College Hospital(UCH) have called on Federal Government to rescue them from the fierce claws fo questionable estate developers. The workers made this through the chairman of the Non-Academic and related institutions Staff Union(NASU) UCH,Comrade Kehinde Abiona. ''Housing is a very germane factor, but over time, workers have run into trouble in the quest to secure affordable homes. The government should reduce workers from the grip of these dubious developers. This development is disturbing. There are several advertisements on the radio for the sale of houses and land. Developers are springing up on a daily basis. The government and relevant regulatory bodies must check their activities. They use cows and bags of rice as baits to attract workers. There is this case of one of our members who paid for the form and was promised to come back for the plot of lad and but till this moment no allocation. In addition, most of these developers introduce hidden costs when an individual has registered with them. My advice to the developers is for them to come to the table with open minds. I count the hidden costs as deceit. Another issue is the documents on the land. They would always tell you they are being processed. None of them have been brought to justice. Only God will save us.'' Comrade Abiona stated.

The workers also lamented the poor state of electricity supply in the country, saying, ''the issue of electricity supply is also a great challenge to the management. Diesel has risen to between N750.00 and N800.00 per litre. This hospital runs on diesel. Electricity is not always available and this has put services into problems. Management is handicapped. The management is groaning under the debts to Ibadan Electric Distribution Company. The debts have gone beyond N50 million, even though electricity is not regular. This affects service delivery. They schedule and rechedule surgeries and operations because of the irregular supply of electricity. However, there are critical lines which are funded at all costs. These lines are the Emergency and Intensive Car Unit. These units run 24 hours round the clock.

Avoid Partisan Politics-NASU UCH Chairman to Labor Leaders

Labor leaders have been advised not to be involved in partisan politics as the 2023 general elections draw closer. This advice was given by the chairman of the Non-Academic Staff and Associated Institutions Union (NASU), Comrade Kehinde Abiona. ''It behoves a union leader to be very careful in discussing politics with politicians. These times of political campaigns, politicians are out looking for ways and means to woo workers and trade unions, but after elections they disappear.'' ''It is not expected of any civil servant to be partisan. You must not carry the toga of any political party. However, trade unionism cannot be separated from politics. We should watch our backs.''''NASU has never been in any secret meeting with any candidate. We only met the Labor party candidate on May day and he signified interest he would like to come around. We in NASU UCH branch, Ibadan have never met any candidate of any political party. There is a tiny line between trade unions and political parties,''Comrade Abiona stated. In another development, members of the union in UCH, Ibadan at a congress held on Wednesday resolved that financial members should be allowed to participate the process of electing leaders in the general election mode and not the process wherein a few elect delegates. The congress noted that some Heads of Department were in the habit of handpicking delegates for the union, while also reaching a consensus that the present administration, as led by Comrade J.K Abiona should be allowed to continue the good work it had been embarking on beyond 2023. In addition, the congress passed a vote of implicit confidence in the leadership of the union at the state council and national levels under the able leadership of the President,Dr. Barrister Makola Hassan and the General Secretary, Prince Peters.A. Adeyemi.

Motivate the Workforce-NASU UCH Chairman to Govt

The Federal Government has been charged with motivating its workforce as a step towards ensuring high productivity. This charge was given on Monday by the Chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions(NASU),University College Hospital(UCH)branch, Ibadan, Comrade Kehinde Abiona. ''The Federal Government should do the needful when it comes to the motivation of its workforce. The government should also make the work environment conducive. But sadly, gardeners still make provisions for provisions, cutlasses them, they buy it themselves. Medical laboratory staff make do with outdated equipment, the same goes for those in accounts, who still apply old methods,,'' Comrade Abiona stated. He advised members of the union to be contented with their present situation, saying, '' take things easy, don't expect too much, accept what life brings to you and make do with what nature allows you to achieve in life''. Comrade Abiona appealed to the Federal Government to wake up to its responsibilities, adding,'' we were assured that we would receive the new hazard allowance in January 2022. That is September. We have yet to receive it, we have continued to borrow to sustain our families.'' Similarly, members of NASU at the University of Ibadan have condemned the decision of the Federal Government not to pay them for the period that they were on strike. They made this position known through their chairman, Comrade Malachy Etim. ''Despite the fact that we fulfilled all the processes before proceeding on strike and despite the fact that we have called off the strike and have since resumed work, the Federal Government is still insisting that it would implement the No Work No Pay rule. This is condemnable. The government is still holding on to our salaries. This is inhuman and insensitive.'' In the same vein, a former Vice President of the Senior Staff Association of Universities(SSANU), Western zone, Comrade Alfred Jimoh advised the government to desist from inducing strike actions, saying, ''human beings are not made for law, law is made for human beings. The Federal Government should apply the law with a human face. Even though we have called off the strike, the government is still holding on to our salaries. How does the government want us to continue working when there is no money?'' In a related development, members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria(ASCSN) have again called on law enforcement agencies to put an end to the cases of corruption going on in the union. The concerned members lamented,''we bring to your notice some of the challenges confronting us. Deductions have been made from our salaries by our union and there is nothing to show for it. The rising high cost of living and inflation that we are experiencing in Nigeria HAS NOT HELPED MATTERS. It has been extremely very difficult for us to make ends meet and, as such, workers have gone borrowing. Kindly look into the account of ASCSN.''