—Demand separate N50bn for its members

— Reject 20% allocation for three unions

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA —THE National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, on Wednesday declared a trade dispute with Federal Ministry of Education and National Universities Commission, NUC, over the discriminatory sharing formular of the recently approved N50 billion earmarked for payment of Earned Allowances and the payment of seven months arrears of Occupational Hazard Allowance and others.

NAAT demanded that the Federal Government should release separate N50 billion Earned Allowances to its members in line with the spirit of the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, it signed with the government in 2022.

It also outrightly rejected the allocation of 20 percent of the approved N50 billion Earned Allowances to three unions while the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, takes 80 percent.

The three unions to share 20 percent out of the N50 billion as approved by the government are NAAT, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU and the Non-Academic Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU.

In a statement on Wednesday, NAAT said that the resolution to demand for N50 billion to be paid to its members and the rejection of the sharing formula for the approved money for the four university based unions was reached after its emergency virtual National Executive Council, NEC meeting.

The statement titled, “Rejection of the unfair and unjust sharing formula adopted by the Federal Ministry of Education on the N50bn earmarked for payment of Earned Allowances,” was signed by NAAT President, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma.

It read: “The NEC of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) outrightly rejects the unfair and unjust sharing formular adopted by the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) and National Universities Commission (NUC) of 80% to members of ASUU and 20% to members of NAAT, NASU and SSANU.

“NAAT as a critical stakeholder in the University Education sub-sector could not understand the wisdom and parameters employed to arrive at such obnoxious decision where a public officer entrusted with the welfare of staff under his Ministry and indeed all Nigerians could endorse such decision irrespective of the effects such actions could generate.

“The practice where public officers promote uneven and lopsided allocation of funds meant for payment of Earned Allowances to all categories of University staff leaves much to be desired.

“NAAT condemns such actions in its entirety and calls for its immediate reversal in the interest of industrial peace and harmonious working relationship between various stakeholders in the system.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the University system is anchored on contributions by several stakeholders. The role of academic technologists in the area of promoting teaching and research which is the core mandate of every University.

“Therefore, the plan to relegate academic technologists would also cripple the backbone of teaching, research and innovations in our Universities and attendant consequences of producing unemployable graduates due to lack of needed skills that they could have acquired in the laboratories, workshops, farms and studios under the guidance and mentorship of academic technologists thereby defeating the recently introduced Federal Government policy of engaging students in more practical and less theory.”

” Furthermore, NAAT demands an immediate commencement of processes by the FME for the release of a separate N50bn to take care of Earned Allowances of NAAT members as contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of 17th August, 2022 signed between Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and NAAT since the FME decided to allocate the recently released funds to ASUU members.”

It further said: ” The action of the Honourable Minister of Education and the Executive Secretary of NUC reminds one of the era of apartheid where discrimination was the order of the day.”

The association noted that it embarked on an indefinite strike action in 2022 alongside three other unions to press home their demands.

According to the statement, NAAT suspended the strike action only after signing a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, containing several terms of settlement including the release of N50bn for payment of Earned Allowance to members of all the four Unions.

“Specifically, item 7 of the resolution of 17th August, 2022 clearly stated that the Fifty Billion Naira is for the payment of Earned Allowances (EA) and Earned Academic Allowances (EAA).

“However, the same Ministry allocates 80% to only one Union to the detriment of three others.

“NAAT demands for fairness, equity, justice and fair play for all and call on well-meaning Nigerians that rejects injustice in all its ramifications under whatever guise to rise up and call for immediate reversal of this sharing arrangement that clearly favours one over three others.

“We are the Academic Technologists and we will continue to demand for our right and the promotion of fair and just University system.

“Meanwhile, NAAT resolved to declare a trade dispute with Federal Ministry of Education and National Universities Commission on issues bordering on welfare of our members on the sharing formular of the recently released N50bn earmarked for payment of Earned Allowances and the payment of seven (7) month arrears of Occupational Hazard Allowance and others.”