Academic technologists demand FG pay our withheld salaries

The Federal Government has been urged by the National Association of Academic Technologists to pay the salaries that have been withheld for more than five months.

The Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System Office was instructed to release four months’ worth of salaries from the outstanding salaries owed to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, prior to this development, by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

This does not include other university and other center employees who are members of other unions.

In response, NAAT called for the implementation of the 25% and 35% authorized salary increases with arrears as stated in the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Federal Government on August 17, 2022, in a statement released on Sunday by its president, Ideji Nwokoma, and general secretary, Abubakar Yusuf.

The Renewed Hope Agenda, which President Bola Tinubu is implementing to revitalize the nation’s economy and educational system, has received praise from NAAT.

Citing the recent N630 billion distribution to universities and other postsecondary institutions, as reported by the TETFund Executive Secretary, they emphasized his dedication to infrastructure and human capital development.

“Noteworthy is the following: at the high-level stakeholders meeting on the modalities of exiting IPPIS that was held on January 11, 2024 at the National Universities Commission Auditorium, one of the main highlights and takeaways was the statement made by Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, SAN, to the effect that all agreements were reached by the Federal Government regarding the payment of withheld salties to all members of university-based unions in federal universities and the implementation of the new salary structure of 25% and 35% salary increases for all workers in educational tertiary institutions, much to the satisfaction of all those in attendance, including vice-chancellors and union leaders.

According to the minister, the current Federal Government is making every effort to prevent industrial unrest in our tertiary educational institutions.

With everything mentioned above in mind, we find it extremely difficult to reconcile the minister’s statement with the Federal Government’s decision to pay the withheld salaries to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities exclusively, leaving other members of our union out.

“We consider this endeavor to be extremely unfair and unjust since it pits our union’s members against the leadership and is generating a tense environment that could completely disrupt academic activities on our campuses.”

According to NAAT, the main reason university sector unions decided to start the strike action in the first place was because the Federal Government had not followed through on its promise to implement agreements reached through collective bargaining.

“We thus fervently implore the minister to consider the predicament of our members and promptly disburse the more than five-monthly withheld salaries, execute the authorized salary hikes of 25% and 35% with arrears, and release the arrears of earned allowances of NAAT members as stipulated in the Memorandum of Understanding signed between NAAT and Federal Government on August 17, 2022.”