The President had, in October 2023, directed that the university workers who embarked on a prolonged strike in 2022 over the inability of the then government to address their concerns be paid for four months.

The administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari had invoked the “No work, no pay” policy, which meant that the university workers would not be paid salaries within the period they were on strike.

While members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities have been paid for the past four months as directed by the president, members of NAAT are yet to be paid.

In a statement to announce the three-day warning strike, signed by its president, Ibeji Nwokoma, NAAT explained that the decision to embark on the warning strike was sanctioned at the union’s National Executive Council emergency virtual meeting.

The statement read, “We are constrained to notify you of the decisions of the National Executive Council of NAAT at the end of its emergency virtual meeting held on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. It was resolved that a three-day warning strike and a nationwide protest on the first day commencing from Wednesday, March 20 to Friday, March 22, 2024, be embarked upon.

“This is to enable the union to press home its demand for the payment of withheld salaries of members of NAAT as approved by the Presidency.

“This became necessary due to the unfortunate circumstances leading to the payment of four months withheld salaries of members of a sister union and the exclusion of members of ΝΑΛΤ.

“The minister may wish to note that, in spite of his pronouncement and assurances at the high-level stakeholders meeting held at the Idris Abdulkadir Auditorium, NUC Secretariat on Thursday, January 11, 2024 that the payment of the withheld salaries will be across board and the unions letter of appeal for equity, fairness and justice dated February 16, 2024 for which the office of the minister did not deem it necessary to either respond or acknowledge and till date the government has failed to fulfil its promises,.”

Nwokoma, therefore, called on the Federal Government to do the needful or be held responsible for any disruption of academic activities in universities.

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NAAT also kicked against the dissolution of Universities Governing Boards and asked the Federal Government to reinstate the dissolved boards.

These among others were contained in a statement issued by the NAAT President, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, at the end of its 52nd National Executive Council meeting, which was made available to journalists in Abuja on Sunday.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the recent increment in tuition fees in tertiary institutions, the association said: “NAAT is worried and concerned too with the recent development regarding the increase in fees and charges in our Federal Institutions, particularly Universities.

“This development may compel many of our students to drop out of school, occasioned by the current economic hardship facing parents and lack of adequate resources to meet up with economic demands.

“We are aware that over 200% increase in fees and charges are now being imposed by Universities authorities. NAAT, therefore, appeals to the government to consider the plight of the poor and rescind the decision by returning to the status quo until the loan issue is properly addressed.”

The association also said that the dissolution of the governing boards of universities was a setback for the growth and development of Nigeria’s Tertiary Education.

The union argued that the dissolution would cripple the activities of the country’s tertiary institutions, especially in the areas of promotion, motivation, welfare, contracts, and project documentation as well as laboratory facilities for practical and research.

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Three other unions of non-academic members of staff have rejected the sharing formula adopted for the N40 billion approved by the Federal Government as Earned Academic Allowance (EAA).

The unions are – the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, (SSANU); Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).

They accused the government of allocating about 75 per cent of the N40 billion EAA to ASUU, leaving the three other unions with only 25 per cent to share among their members.

The unions said they will not resume in January when universities reopen unless the Federal Government corrected the “imbalance.”

National President of NAAT. Ibeji Nwokomma said anyone thinking that the non-teaching staff unions in the universities would resume with the recent development was day-dreaming

Nwokoma argued that the discrepancy in the sharing of the N40 billion contradicts the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Federal government and NAAT on November 18 during a conciliatory meeting called by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Nwokoma said: “My union is rejecting the sharing formula of the Earned Allowances as it is being done by the government. Government has allocated 75 per cent to ASUU and 25 per cent to all other non-teaching unions in the universities. This is grossly inadequate.

“That is robbing Peter to pay Paul and using divide and rule in the university system. No union, not even ASUU, has the monopoly of opening or closing of schools through strike. Other unions also have that capacity to ensure that the system does not work.

“Secondly, my union, ASUU and other unions negotiated with the government, so, payment of Earned Allowances will be based on unions, it should be on the basis of the 2009 Agreement; that is where the Earned Allowances is derived from. Lumping my union with other non – teaching staff is neither here nor there and totally unacceptable to us.

“We have an MoU with the government just signed on November 15, which says that government should clearly define what should go to go to each union and government agreed that it was going to do that and today they just shared the money anyhow without adhering to the MoU.

“My union is asking that our own Earned Allowances should be specified, whatever it is should be specified just like they did to ASUU. If nothing is done, we will close down the system until we are fairly treated.

He said he was making efforts to get in touch with the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, to draw the ministry’s attention to the brewing crisis.

National President of SSANU, Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim, said his union would not take the lopsided sharing formula.

He said, ” I believe that this remains a rumour even though I know it could be true, I have seen 75 per cent and 25 per cent.

“But if that is it, we have stated in no uncertain terms that we will not take this kind of lopsided allocations again because what is the scientific measurement used to give this money. We have stated before now that the least we can take is 50-50, they are not more in numbers.

“And even if they want to do something like that maybe this is my own personal opinion, I may not insist on 50-50 but at least something reasonable. We have so many numbers.

“If they give for example 60-40, do you think the noise will be there? Government does not want peace if it is giving 75 per cent to only one union and giving 25 per cent to three unions, does it make sense?

“Certainly, my members are more than willing to down tools if this becomes a reality.”

The Federal Government has agreed to pay all withheld salaries of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) members who had not enrolled in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) between December to January, 2021.

The government, through the Office of the Accountant – General of the Federation also agreed to release the N40 billion as EAA by end of this month.

It offered to release N30 billion for revitalization of the universities as part of one tranche of N220 billion on or before January 31 2021, as a sign of commitment to the MoU it signed in 2013.

The government said the withheld salaries would be paid in installment because of “special management of funds.”

It also agreed that all members of ASUU who have been omitted from payment between February and June and from June to December shall be paid their salaries as soon as their respective universities updated their lists

The list includes those on sabbatical leave.

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Samson Ugwuoke, chairman of the joint action committee of the unions, announced this at a briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said the decision was reached “based on extensive consultations with our various organs”.

The JAC comprises of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).

“Government is to source for N8 billion within five weeks to pay JAC of SSANU, NAAT and NASU members and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), who did not get paid in the last disbursement exercise,” read a communique released after a meeting with Chris Ngige, minister of labour.

“The National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) is to rework the 15th December 2017 Call Circular taking into consideration the observations of JAC of NAAT, NASU and SSANU with a view to ensuring that it complies with the National Industrial Court (NIC) judgment.”

The JAC embarked on a strike to protest the alleged disparity in sharing formula of N23 billion released to universities in Nigeria as earned allowance.

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A letter to all the branch chairmen titled, ‘Directives to immediately resume the suspended strike,’ was signed by Samson Ugwoke, SSANU, Chris Ani, NASU and Sani Suleiman, NAAT.

The JAC had claimed that only a ‘pittance’ was given to the three unions out of the N23bn ‘earned allowance’ released by the Federal Government to the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

The union complained that the government failed to explain how the money was shared between ASUU and the non-academic teaching staff unions.

The strike notice read, “Please, recall our last correspondence to you in which we informed you of the letter written to the Minister of Education rejecting the allocation made by the office of the Permanent Secretary and signed by the PS himself.

“In the said letter, the Federal Government was given seven days to explain the criteria for the said allocation and do the needful. The deadline has elapsed without any response from the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“In view of the above therefore, you are hereby directed to resume the suspended indefinite strike action as from 12 midnight, Sunday, 3rd December, 2017.

“During this period, the strike shall be total and comprehensive.”

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It will be recalled that the non-teaching staff of universities under the auspices of Joint Action Committee (JAC) had embarked on an indefinite strike on Sept. 11 over non-implementation of its 12- point demand.

Samson Ugwoke, National Chairman of JAC said this at a news conference at the end of its National Executive Council meeting on Thursday in Abuja.

The unions are made up of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).

The demands of the unions are the payment of earned allowances to members, a review of the governance system in government-owned universities and improved funding in line with UNESCO recommendations.

The unions also demanded the provisions of infrastructure in universities and payment of salary shortfall being owed members, implementation of the National Industrial Court judgment on University staff schools and the registration of NUPEMCO.

Others are implementation of CONTISS 14 and 15 for Technologists as well as the improvement of teaching and learning facilities in the universities.

The unions also called on Federal Government to show more commitment and seriousness in the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/University unions agreement, among others

Ugwoke said a template had been developed towards addressing the issues in contention.

“We hope that this will be a panacea to the continued conflicts between the university based non-teaching staff unions and the federal government.

”We have developed an actionable template with specific time frames to implement salient aspects of the agreement.

“Based on the foregoing and following exhaustive and extensive consultations with our various union organs, we hereby announce the suspension of the strike embarked upon by the Joint Action Committee of NAAT, NASU and SSANU.

”We have consequently directed our members to resume work on Monday, September 25, 2017. In one month’s time.

”We shall be reviewing the level of compliance with the agreement and shall not hesitate to resume the strike action if government reneges on the agreements reached or delays in any aspects,” he said.

He commended the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen, Chris Ngige, other members of government delegation and the NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba for their effort in the resolution of the problems.

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The unions are made up of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).

A statement jointly signed by Sani Suleiman, Chris Ani and Samson Ugwoke, Presidents of NAAT, NASU and SSANU made this known in Abuja on Wednesday.

Ugokwe said that the Federal Government was taking the non-teaching staff of universities for granted as it had breached the implementation of agreement of 2009 and Memorandum of Understanding signed with JAC in January 2017.

He said the unions had waited for eight years for the government to implement the agreement it freely entered into with them but said that the government has not been responsive to the demands of the unions and no action appears to have been taken on any of the issues.

“Our demands includes, the payment of earned allowances to our members, a review of the governance system in our universities. Improved funding in line with UNESCO recommendations, provisions of infrastructure in universities and payment of salary shortfall being owed members.

“Implementation of the National Industrial Court judgment on University staff schools, registration of NUPEMCO, implementation of CONTISS 14 and 15 for technologists, improvement of teaching and learning facilities in the universities.

“Stemming the tide of corruption in the university system, showing more commitment and seriousness in the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/University unions agreement, among others,” he said.

He said that during the strike, there would be no provisions of services, no matter how skeletal and that concessions would not be granted “while all our members are to stay at home till further notice unless as directed by JAC through their respective presidents.”

He, however, noted that the unions had engaged in various consultations and dialogues with government on the issues at stake and had written several letters and embarked on several protest to no avail.

Ugwoke said that several representations made by the unions had been ignored by the government. “Rather than address the demands of the union as contained in the agreement, universities have continued to deteriorate.

“Also, poor governance system has become the order of the day and has brought the universities to their knees,” he said.

He also alleged that corruption had taken its toll on the university system, while infrastructure and facilities were nothing to write home about, among others.

The post More troubles for varsities as NAAT, NASU, SSANU commence indefinite strike Sept. 11 appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

The unions are the National Association of Academic Technologists (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 the unions announced the suspension in a communiqué.

The communiqué was jointly signed by Sani Suleiman, President (NAAT), Solomon Alfa, Vice-President (SSANU), Peters Adeyemi, General Secretary (NASU).

Others are: Dr Jamila Suara, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education and Permanent Secretary in Labour and Employment Ministry, Mr Clement Illoh.

The Deputy General Secretary of SSANU, Festus Ajayi, read the communiqué to newsmen at the end of the meeting with the Federal Government.

“The meeting urged the members of JAC to suspend its ongoing warning strike. JAC agreed to suspend the strike with effect from Friday, Jan. 20.

“After due consideration by the leadership of JAC, they agreed to convey the outcome of the meeting to their respective congresses to suspend the strike”, he said.

The communiqué stated that on the issue of Earned Allowance that any arrangement by government in this regards should involve all workers and employees in the university system.

It also stated that on the judgement of the National Industrial Court (NIC) on staff schools in the universities, there was urgent need to put the university system on notice to avoid further termination of teachers’ appointment.

The communiqué noted that a committee will be inaugurated by next week to look into the issue of corruption in some of the universities.

Ajayi urged the Federal Government to ensure that they do not renege on the 2009 agreement as reaffirmed in the just concluded meeting.

Illoh, who represented the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, commended the unions for their understanding.

NAN recalls that the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the unions had declared a five – day warning strike effective from Jan. 16.

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