- Demands 6 months withheld salary arrears
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The National Association Of Academic Technologists (NAAT), has lamented that the federal government through some of its policies and programmes have truncated the ability of universities in the country to be self-sufficient.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, had recently urged universities to utilise the autonomy law that empowers them to generate revenue and take care of their needs.
Responding to this in a press briefing on Tuesday in Abuja, to press home their demands, NAAT National President, Ibeji Nwokoma said: “It’s is good that the minister mentioned the University Autonomous bill. But the question is, why did they introduce the Single Treasury Bill into the university sector that now says that everything that is generated by the universities should be paid into the government account?
“Why didn’t they consider the university autonomy when they introduced the Single Treasury Bill? So everything that is generated, is paid into that account. And so the government has owned up to the assets and liabilities of the universities and so they should be able to pay our bills and again, as we are talking presently, you discover that the introduction of IPPIS has eroded the core responsibilities of the university councils. Before you can employ one person in the universities, you have to seek approval from the Head of Service, you have to go to IPPIS. That is not how the university is intended to run. It is against university autonomy and we have been protesting that.
Nwokoma argued that if the government has done all these things to erode the autonomy of the universities, it has no right to blame the unions for bringing their demands to it.
NAAT President then called on the federal government to quickly pay up the six and half months salary arrears of the union members that were withheld when they went on strike in 2022.
“We wish to state here that we are responsible members of the Nigerian society, and that as patriotic citizens, we could not have embarked on any strike but as a last option after several repeated failures by Government to address germane issues concerning the University education sector in the areas of infrastructures, training, research and welfare to which the Government has repeatedly failed to address, hence the reason for the strike action after following due process. He noted.
Nwokoma recalled that the union had on 17th August, 2022, reached an agreement with the federal government through the Minister of Education; Mal. Adamu Adamu to release enabling circular for CONTISS 14 & 15 for Academic Technologists, pay arrears of Occupational hazard Allowance and also, pay the union six month withheld salaries.
Other agreements reached according to the union leader was 23.5% salary percentage increase, payment of earned allowance (EA) arrears, salary payment platform as well as non-victimization.
He stated that unfortunately, none of the items contained in the agreement reached including those with timelines of three months have been implemented.
NAAT President, while condoling with the Federal Government, University of Port-Harcourt and the immediate families of Late Professor Nimi Briggs, who was the serving Chairman of the Federal Government 2009 Renegotiation Committee, called on the government to appoint a new Chairman to conclude the renegotiation.
According to him, “the 2009 renegotiation has become more of an abandoned project. FGN and NAAT have not concluded the renegotiation as claimed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris N. Ngige.
On the recent 40% salary increment, NAAT said it was very concerned that its members who are also Federal Government employees have been left out.
“This we consider as discriminatory, unjust and unfair and an invitation to industrial crisis.
We therefore, call on Government to immediately correct this injustice to members of NAAT by implementing as well as payment of the arrears of 23.5% earlier approved for our members with effect from September, 2022.
“Connected to this is the approval of N50bn by President Muhammadu Buhari for payment of arrears of Earned Allowance for members of University based Unions which has not been released.
On Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standard (CCMAS), NAAT declared that any educational system especially University Education that has the aim and intention to produce well groomed graduates in the areas of Science and Technology without making provisions for its application, adaptation, innovation and demonstration in terms of Practicals and the best approach to derive maximum benefits from its applications; is a programme doomed for failure.
“The University Regulatory Body (NUC) by its conduct and approach has either by omission or commission have removed Academic Technologists from the Nigerian University system, through its conduct in its recent regulatory guideline called CCMAS, where no mention was made about Academic Technologists, nor their roles and functions in the system while the idea about conduct of practicals have been completely de- emphasized or removed. Even though, the final document is said to be under review; we use this medium to call on FGN particularly NUC to as a matter of necessity ensure that practicals and the critical roles of Academic Technologists as one of the tripod upon which University is built upon that is classrooms for Lecturers, library for librarians and Laboratories, Workshops and Studios for Academic Technologists” Nwokoma added.