From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has rejected the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) and National Universities Commission (NUC)’s sharing formula for the N50 billion allocated for university workers’ Earned Allowances, declaring a trade dispute over the decision and other unresolved welfare issues, including seven months’ unpaid Occupational Hazard Allowance arrears.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, May 21, following an emergency virtual National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, NAAT, led by President Ibeji Nwokoma, condemned the allocation of 80% of the funds to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), leaving 20% for NAAT, the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) to share. The union called the formula “unjust and discriminatory,” warning it threatens industrial peace.
“The NEC of NAAT outrightly rejects the unfair and unjust sharing formula adopted by the FME and NUC. As critical stakeholders in the university education sub-sector, we cannot understand the rationale behind such an obnoxious decision,” the statement read. NAAT highlighted academic technologists’ vital role in teaching, research, and innovation, cautioning that marginalising them could impair practical learning and produce unemployable graduates.
NAAT demanded a separate N50 billion for its members’ Earned Allowances, referencing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Federal Government on August 17, 2022. “Item 7 of the MoU clearly stated that the N50 billion is for the payment of Earned Allowances (EA) and Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) to all four university-based unions,” the union noted, criticising the 80% allocation to ASUU.
Likening the formula to apartheid-era discrimination, NAAT urged Nigerians to demand its reversal. “We are the Academic Technologists, and we will continue to demand our rights and the promotion of a fair and just university system,” Nwokoma affirmed.