The National Association of Academic Technologists has sought for the Federal Government’s intervention over its withheld salaries and other needs of the association.
The National President of the NAAT, Ibeji Nwokoma, made the call at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja.
Nwokoma said the body had on August 17, 2022 reached an agreement with the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, in his office and in the presence of Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission.
He said: “The agreement was signed by the Minister and the Permanent Secretary on behalf of Federal Government, while the President and General Secretary of NAAT signed on behalf of the association.
“We as members of Academic Technologists in Nigerian tertiary institutions, as critical stakeholders in the area of Science and Technology in Nigeria, wish to seek for immediate intervention of the outgoing/incoming administration.”
The NAAT’s president listed other areas the association needed government’s attention to include release of enabling circular for CONTISS 14 and 15 for Academic Technologists, payment of arrears of Occupational Hazard Allowance and payment of six months withheld salaries.
Others, he said, were Federal Government’s offer of 23.5 per cent salary percentage increase, payment of earned allowance arrears, salary payment platform and non-victimisation.
He expressed dissatisfaction that none of the items contained in the agreement reached, including those with timelines of three months, had been implemented.
Nwokoma used the medium to express condolences to the government, University of Port Harcourt and the immediate family of pate Prof. Nimi Briggs, who served as a Chairman of the Federal Government’s 2009 Renegotiation Committee.
He, however, said the 2009 renegotiation had become more of an abandoned project.
The president added that the Federal Government and NAAT were yet to conclude the renegotiation as claimed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige.
He added: “We, therefore, use this forum to call on the Federal Government to appoint a new Chairman to conclude the renegotiation with NAAT without further delay.”
Speaking on the payment of 40 per cent peculiarity allowance for other workers, Nwokoma said: “NAAT was very concerned because it left out members of the our union who were also Federal Government employees.
“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 per cent earlier approved for our members with effect from September 2022.
“Connected to this is the approval of N50 billion by President Muhammadu Buhari for payment of arrears of Earned Allowance for members of University based Unions, which has not been released.”
He also emphasised on the implementation of the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standard.
He said any educational system, especially university education, aimed at producing best graduates in areas of science and technology, should adopt innovation in the system.
Nwokoma added: “As a way of advancing knowledge in the areas of Science and Technology, NAAT has floated its own journal called TJEST, for the benefit of the entire scientific world.
“The journal can be accessed through the website; www.tjest.org.ng.”
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