THE Federal Government on Monday made last minute efforts to avert the nationwide warning strike planned by Nigerian teachers and scheduled to begin tomorrow.


The government is to meet with the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) today on how to resolve the impasse over the non-implementation of Teachers Salary Scale (TSS) which is the major grouse of teachers.


The meeting, which is billed to take place at 2:00 p.m., is at the instance of the Minister of Education, Igwe Aja-Nwachuku, and he would discuss with the teachers on the possible ways to avert the impending strike.


This is just as the Registrar of the National Examination Council (NECO), Professor Promise Okpalla who spoke in a telephone interview with the Nigerian Tribune, said that the proposed strike would affect the conduct of the nationwide examination.


Aja-Nwachuku, who spoke through his Assistant Director of Press, Mr. Alphonsus Okorafor, however, did not give details about the agenda for the meeting. He said it was part of the ongoing efforts at finding an amicable resolution to the dispute that government initiated since last week.


The teachers had, over the weekend, buoyed by the support of the Nigeria Labour Congress and civil society organisations, vowed not to allow the leadership of the NUT to succumb to any move to stop the proposed strike, having engaged in dialogue with the government in vain.


Also , following the decision of the national body of NUT to embark on the three-day warning strike, teachers in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the Arewa Coordinating Committee, on Saturday night voted unanimously to participate fully in the strike.


The Arewa Coordinating Committee after its extraordinary meeting in Abuja, called on all teachers in the region, both those in public and private schools, to not only stay away from the classrooms from Wednesday through Friday, but to be ready for a full-blown strike should government fail to implement the TSS before the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum given by the NUT.


On the ongoing NECO Examinations, Okpalla, who lamented about the impending strike, said it would have devastating effects on the examinations since, according to him, “it is the teachers that act as invigilators, supervisors as well as other duties they undertake for the council.”


He, however, said the council had plans to ensure that everything went smoothly whether the strike took place or not. The NUT Deputy National President, Mr. Nelson Onem, when contacted on the telephone confirmed that the union would honour the invitation but said it would not accede to anything that would not go down well with the wishes of the entire teachers

Y NOT

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani says Premier League strikers Emmanuel Adebayor, Didier Drogba and Dimitar Berbatov are transfer targets.

Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o and Mario Gomez of Stuttgart are also on the Rossoneri's list of potential signings.

Galliani said: "The names are those that have been reported. That's Eto'o, Drogba, Adebayor, Gomez and Berbatov."

Milan have failed to qualify for next season's Champions League and Galliani added: "Any of them would be good."

There has been growing speculation in Italy that Arsenal's Adebayor may be on his way to the San Siro.

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What do you make of AC Milan's interest in Adebayor?

The Togo international is 24 and his age could be a factor Milan consider when it comes to the English top-flight trio as Chelsea's Drogba is 30 and Tottenham's Berbatov 27.

But on Adebayor, Galliani would only say: "He is under contract."

Adebayor called reports he would be leaving the Gunners as "rubbish" in May after the end of a third successive trophyless season for the side.

But his and Arsenal's resolve could be tested depending on Milan's desire for a player they experienced at close quarters when they were beaten by the English side in last season's Champions League.

The Serie A side have already lured away French midfielder Mathieu Flamini on a free from Arsenal, who are also in danger of losing Alexander Hleb.

An influential minister in the government of President Umaru Yar’Adua has acquired a refurbished three-bedroom duplex at the Apo Legislators quarters in Abuja for N110 million.


The Minister, who has since moved into the Duplex has also reconstructed the building, fixing a gatehouse and a giant black iron gate that conflicts with the usual structure of Apo houses.


During the administration of the immediate past minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, reconstruction of houses in Apo Quarters was almost a forbidden one, particularly the inclusion of gate houses.


Except for the official residences of the President of the Senate, his deputy and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and his deputy, other houses in the sprawling Legislators’ Quarters were without gate houses.


But following the sale of the houses to legislators and occupants under the monetisation scheme of the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, many of the houses started changing hands, with many others being reconstructed.


The influential Minister, who acquired the house on David Bamigboye Street, at the area originally named Zone A, was said to have paid N110 million for the house with N20 million going to the agents, while the owner, a returning member of the House of Representatives from the South West received the sum of N90 million for it.


It was gathered that though Apo houses, particularly the House of Representatives side go for between N25 and N30 million, the honourable member had recently refurbished the house.


The member was said to have refurbished the house after he won election last year with about N40 million. Though he intended to live in the house, it was gathered that scouts and estate agents close to the minister spotted the house recently and mounted pressure on the legislator who represents the constituency of a former Nigerian leader to sell.


It was gathered that while the Honourable member felt that he could scare away the prospective buyers by placing a high price on the house, the minister’s men insisted that the price was right at N110 million.


When Sunday Tribune visited the house on Friday and Saturday, a number of mobile policemen were seen coming in and out of the house.


Three police pilot cars, a Peugeot 406 and two Toyota Hillux vans were also seen packed in front of the house.


A number of security cars were also seen inside the compound. A source said that the minister was inside the house at about 8.30 am on Saturday when Sunday tribune visited.


The said Minister has come in conflict with a number of persons and government agencies in recent times and was rumoured as one of those that would be relieved of their position in a cabinet reshuffle earlier in the year.