The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has declared a trade dispute with the Federal Ministry of Education and National Universities Commission (NUC) over the N50 billion earned allowance recently released by the Federal Government.

The varsity academic workers are beefing with the Ministry of Education for allocating 80 per cent of the windfalls to the academic staffers, leaving 20 per cent for the non-teaching that comprise NAAT, Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of both NASU and SSANU has rejected the sharing formula as well. A communique issued at the end of the emergency virtual meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC), reads: “NAAT resolved to declare a trade dispute with Federal Ministry of Education and National Universities Commission on issues bordering on the welfare of our members on the sharing formula of the recently released N50 billion earmarked for payment of Earned Allowances and the payment of seven months arrears of occupational hazard allowance and others.”

The communiqué, which was signed by the President of the association, Ibeji Nwokoma, said it is at a loss over the parameters that were used by the government to arrive at ration 80 to 20 per cent sharing formula.

It expressed worries that the practices 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.

It added: “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.”

It argued that the university system is anchored on contributions by several stakeholders, saying the role of academic technologists in promoting teaching and research is one of one of the core mandates 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,” it stated.
It demanded an immediate commencement of processes by the Federal Ministry of Education for the release of a separate N50 billion to take care of Earned Allowances of NAAT members as contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of August 17, 2022, signed between the Federal Government of Nigeria and NAAT since the Ministry allocated the recently released funds to ASUU members.

Indeed, ASUU, NASU, SSANU and NAAT embarked on an indefinite strike in 2022 to press home their demands. NAAT and other unions suspended the strike action after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) containing several terms of settlement including the release of N50 billion for payment of Earned Allowance to members of all four Unions.

Specifically, item number seven of the resolution of August 17, 2022, stated that the N50 billion is for the payment of Earned Allowances (EA) and Earned Academic Allowances (EAA).