Posted By:
Unknown
on 9/26/2013 11:48:00 am
The deplorable state of the university system since members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on an indefinite strike to demand that the government make good its promises as stated in the 2009 agreement the government had with the union, may even go worse as the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), Tuesday threatened to commence a nationwide strike from next week.
National General Secretary of the union, Mr. Peters Adeyemi, dropped the hint in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, yesterday during the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union.
According to him, “The decision to embark on the nationwide strike is due to the fact that the members of the union had not been paid for two months despite working to keep university system running during the ongoing ASUU strike.”
He said: “NASU will start its own strike action next week because we have been working and government has refused to pay our salaries, and for us, it does not make sense to continue to keep the system running when we are not paid.”
He added: “The reason for this is not known to us. Workers in all federal universities are not paid their salaries right now and that’s a big challenge. Government has not paid our salary for August and as we are talking now, today is September 24, they are effectively owing us two months salary and there’s no way we can continue to do this work on empty stomach, while they run around the globe with heavy stomach.”
The NASU General Secretary, who said no reason was adduced for their non-payment, added, “the unfortunate thing is that they have no explanation for non-payment of our salaries.
“That’s enough patience on our part despite the fact that we have our grouse before with the federal government; that things are not running well. But we think as Nigerians and parents, we don’t have to unnecessarily ground the system. But if you take this our maturity and level-headedness to mean stupidity, them of course, people that complain that we in the university system have ruined the future of students by going on too many strikes imposed on us by government will have no reason not to understand, if we go on our own strike next week,” he stressed
Also speaking, the national president of NASU, Mr. Ladi Iliya, blamed the National Assembly for fighting on their political interest and future at the expense of welfare of Nigerians.
The NASU president, who said the National Assembly should have deliberated on issue of persistent insecurity and ASUU strike when it resume session, described the attitude of the legislators as shameful.
Posted By:
Unknown
on 9/26/2013 11:00:00 am
Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie, says he is confident that the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will soon be called off.
Speaking, Wednesday, in Abuja, at a media parley with journalists, Okojie said the commission was doing everything within its powers to ensure a speedy resolution of the issues raised by ASUU so that students could return to school.
“We are part of the system and we understand the issues, we are meeting with members of the union all the time and the issues are being tackled.
“
So, we are optimistic the strike will soon be called off and our children can go back to school in the shortest possible time,” he said.
In reaction to the call by ASUU for NUC to be scrapped, Okojie said “the call is not in good faith as the commission has not gone to sleep over its duties”.
Also speaking on the recurrent disagreements between the commission and some professional bodies over accreditation and running of certain courses by some universities, Okojie acknowledged that there were issues that needed to be resolved between both parties.
“There is no country in the world where regulatory bodies and professional bodies go to regulate at the same time.
“So, it is true we are having problems with professional bodies in carrying out our mandate, but the issues too will soon be resolved and we can move on.
The executive secretary, who said that the commission had closed many faculties not fit to run courses in certain universities, admitted that; “it is not easy to be a regulator’’.
According to him, the commission was “silently regulating the system’’ having to also pay professional fees and encourage professors to do accreditation. [NAN]
Posted By:
Unknown
on 9/24/2013 10:50:00 am
ASUU STRIKE SHOULD NOT HINDER US FROM INCREASING OUR INTELLECTUAL ARSENAL.BY NEXT WEEK WE WILL BE BACK TO SCHOOL(pessimistic?),THEN EMPLOY-ABILITY SKILL ACQUISITION IS A GOOD STEP.I BELIEVE THAT THE SOLUTION TO UNEMPLOYMENT IN NIGERIA IS "MADE IN NIGERIA"
FINAL ACCOUNT
VOL 1
Construction contracts generally provide some mechanism for the final payment to be made to the contractor on completion of the works described in the contract. Generally this payment will be made at the end of the defects liability period providing that all patent defects have been rectified.
Preparing the final account is the process of calculating and agreeing any adjustments to the contract sum (the amount originally set out in the contract to be paid to the contractor for completion of the works) so that the amount of the final payment can be determined. The amount of the final payment is then set out in the final certificate (or final statement). It is possible for the final certificate to show that money is owed to the client, rather than due to the contractor.
Construction contracts may in fact not require the preparation of a final account, although they generally do require the contractor to provide all documents necessary for the adjustment of the contract sum within a specified time, and set out the time scale for and consequences of issuing the final certificate.
The contract sum may need to be adjusted for a number of reasons, including:
Variations.
Fluctuations.
Prime cost sums.
Provisional sums.
Payments to nominated sub-contractors or nominated suppliers.
Statutory fees.
Payments relating to the opening-up and testing of the works.
Loss and expense.
Liquidated and ascertained damages.
Contra claims imposed as a result of the contractor's operations (such as a third-party claim resulting from contractor negligence or contractual breach, for example, flooding a neighbor's property).
The release of any remaining retention.
Agreeing the final account can be a complicated, time consuming and adversarial process, often resulting in disputes. The process can be made easier if adjustments to the contract sum are agreed as the project progresses rather than saving them up for the end. It is also beneficial if the client's quantity surveyor and the contractor's quantity surveyor work together on drafts of the final account before agreement it sought. It is preferable that a draft copy of the final account is signed off by the contractor as an 'in full and final settlement' prior to issue.
Agreement of the final account will allow the contract administrator to issue the final certificate. The final certificate is conclusive that all patent defects have been remedied, all adjustments to the contract sum have been agreed and all claims settled. Latent defects may still become apparent after completion of the contract and these may give rise to action for damages, for breach of contract or negligence.
Where proceedings have begun in relation to a dispute, the conclusiveness of the final certificate is subject to the findings of those proceedings.
In addition, the final certificate itself can be disputed (usually within 28 days). Adjudication, arbitration or other dispute resolution procedures may then be necessary to resolve the dispute. The final certificate is then only conclusive in relation to matters that are not disputed.
If the client intends to pay a different amount from that shown on the certificate, they must give notice to the contractor of the amount they intend to pay and the basis for its calculation (a 'pay less notice' - see Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act for more information).
VOL 2
The final account stage of a building contract is the process during which the quantity surveyor determines the final cost of a project, based on the following documents:
The form of contract
Original priced bill of quantities
Variations
Drawings
Agreed contractor claims.
For public sector projects in particular the final account acts as the final part of the audit trail, allowing all financial transactions relating to the contract to be clearly traced with the contract bills of quantities being the starting point, it can be a lengthy and time consuming process. For a private sector client it may not always be necessary to produce a fully detailed final account as long as the client is convinced that the final project has delivered value for money.
For some public sector clients the account documents are subjected to audit. The final account should be prepared during the contract period, as some of the detail required will have been used during the preparation of variations and interim certificates and not left until the contract is complete. One reason for doing this is that it is better to measure and price variations during the currency of the contract while the facts are still fresh in people's minds, before work becomes covered up and changes of personnel make the accurate preparation of a final account more difficult and time consuming. Contracts will typically specify a fixed period following practical completion of the work within which the account must be prepared.
The final account which is prepared by the quantity surveyor is composed of the following:
Statement of Final Account
Final account summary
Adjustment of Prime Cost Sums if used
Adjustment of Provisional Sums
Adjustment of Provisional Items
Adjustment of variation account
Adjustment for fluctuations
Adjustment for contractor's claims
This statement is generally prepared in accordance with the conditions of building contract.ie the standard form of building contract. For example, in the JCT 05 Standard Form the clause dealing with the preparation of the final account or final adjustment is clause 4.5.
After the architect has issued the Certificate of Practical Completion the contractor must supply the quantity surveyor with all the necessary documentation in order that the final account (adjustment) can be prepared. The quantity surveyor then has an additional three months to prepare the final account (adjustment); there is no stipulated penalty stated in the contract if these deadlines are not met.
The adjustment of the contract sum normally falls under several relevant items, although the quantity surveyor must have regard to all the matters listed in the standard form of contract and conditions. The contract conditions tabulates all the matters that shall be dealt with in order to adjust the contract sum in accordance with the conditions.
Posted By:
Unknown
on 9/23/2013 06:39:00 pm
ASUU STRIKE SHOULD NOT HINDER US FROM INCREASING OUR INTELLECTUAL ARSENAL.BY NEXT WEEK WE WILL BE BACK TO SCHOOL(pessimistic?),THEN EMPLOY-ABILITY SKILL ACQUISITION IS A GOOD STEP.I BELIEVE THAT THE SOLUTION TO UNEMPLOYMENT IN NIGERIA IS "MADE IN NIGERIA"
live at the event.
Gov.-Babatunde-Raji-Fashola1Lagos State is Nigeria’s commercial capital no doubt, but it might have also earned itself the merriment capital after it was disclosed that about N36 billion is spent annually on weekend partying and merry making.
This jaw-dropping figure was dropped by Governor Babatunde Fashola weekend at the 4th edition of the Lagos Ignite Enterprise and Employability Project – a joint youth empowerment programme between the government and the After School Graduate Development Centre (AGDC).
He said: “A study of nightlife carried out by the government in five local governments (areas) Agege, Mushin, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ikorodu and Ikeja, showed that about N3 billion was spent on 1, 555 parties held within the period.”
Gov. Fashola noted that the figure was collated after a study of the cultural side of Lagos party life, putting the monthly estimate at N3 billion. According to this estimate, in 12 months, about N36 billion is spent on partying in the state.
He urged the youth to tap into the investment opportunities provided by such occasions.
The study was carried out between the months of October and November 2012 with Thursday, Friday and Saturday taken as study samples for four weeks, the governor said.
He said: “In 12 nights, 1,555 parties were held in those local governments. In terms of drinks, food and all other engagements during such parties, about N1.2 billion was spent and when we disaggregated them, we saw how much went to DJ, MC, food and drinks.”
The governor further disclosed that clothing materials worn during such parties popularly called “aso-ebi”, gulped at least N1.2 billion monthly, saying the market has huge potentials with much yet to be tapped it.
He urged the youth to look beyond securing white collar jobs just as he also cited the revolution and huge money spinning opportunities in refuse collection and provision of rest rooms during events started by individuals.
