Withheld Salaries: NAAT Urges N/Assembly, NANS, Monarchs to Intervene

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, has pleaded with the National Assembly, religious and traditional leaders, parents and students’ leadership to prevail on the federal government to pay its members the withheld five and half months’ salaries as a result of their industrial action in 2022.
The plea is coming on the heels of a looming strike threat by the Joint Action Committee, JAC, of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, over the same withheld salaries.

The four university-based unions, NAAT, SSANU, NASU and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, had in 2022 embarked on a prolonged strike over the inability of the federal government to attend to some of their grievances leading to invocation of the ‘No Work, no Pay’, policy by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration then.
This development brought heightened tension in the universities, hence President Bola Tinubu’s directive in October last year that four months of the withheld salaries should be paid.

While the teaching staff, ASUU, has been paid since last year, the other three non-teaching staff unions are yet to receive their payments
Consequently, NAAT after its emergency meeting in Abuja has told all relevant stakeholders to prevail on the government to pay its members the withheld salaries as well as other outstanding arrears to avoid anything that could lead to disruption of academic activities.

The association in a statement signed by its President, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, noted with dismay that it has had several meetings with government and House of Representatives Committee on the matter but all it received was mere assurances without any positive results.
The statement titled, “NAAT Demands Immediate Payment of Withheld Salaries of Members and Resolution of all other Outstanding Issues,” said that despite the long wait, it resolved to toe the path of diplomacy and advocacy in actualizing its demands.

The statement partly read: “The leadership of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) is compelled to issue this press statement as a response to the non-payment of five and half months withheld salaries and non-payment of 25% and 35% salary increment arrears, non-payment of Occupational Hazard and Responsibility Allowance arrears, release of enabling circular for CONTISS 14 & 15 and non-release of arrears of Earned Allowances as contained in Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) of 2020, 2021 and 2022.

“It is important to put on record that National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), embarked on a three-day warning strike in March, 2024 during which a meeting was convened and chaired by the Honorable Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman.

“Also present were the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack and the leadership of the union led by the President Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma.

“Similarly, the House Committee on University Education convened a meeting chaired by the chairman, Honorable Abubakar Hassan Fulata.

“In all these meetings, assurances were given to the effect that all the outstanding issues, especially the withheld salaries, “would be paid soon”.

“Unfortunately, as at the time of this release, nothing has been done in that respect by the federal government led by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Arm Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.

“Having waited this far, the national EXCO at the end of its emergency meeting held at the National Secretariat, University of Abuja on Thursday, 4th July, 2024, resolved to toe the path of diplomacy and advocacy in actualizing its demands.

“However, if this fails the issue will be referred to the National Executive Council (NEC) at her regular meeting scheduled to hold this July 2024 for next line of actions.

“NAAT once again, wishes to call on well-meaning Nigerians, religious leaders, traditional rulers, national assembly leadership, parents and students’ leadership to prevail on government and ensure implementation of all the outstanding issues mentioned above for a sustainable industrial harmony.”

Meanwhile, NAAT has expressed worry over the continuous delay by President Tinubu in transmitting the new National Minimum Wage Bill to the National Assembly.

It also condemned in strong terms what it described as “the unpatriotic position of state governors who claim inability to pay even the N62, 000.00 proposed by federal government and supported by the organized private sector, though rejected by the organized labour.

It said: ” The refusal of the governors’ forum to recognize the efforts of workers in creating wealth and prosperity in the states and the country in general is most unfortunate. This undermines the essence and model adopted for National Minimum Wage.”