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The National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, on Saturday said it has issued a 14-day industrial action notice to the Federal Government.
The association said the action was informed by alleged incongruity in the sharing of the N40 billion earned allowances released to the four university unions by the Federal Government.
The university workers also asked for the release of 50 per cent of the N71b earned allowances being owed members of the union based on the 20019 agreement with the government.
Ibeji Nwokoma, the union’s president while speaking to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, disclosed that the association wrote a letter to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, informing him of their planned industrial action.
He said, “We have written to the government that NAAT as a body ought to have been given a specified percentage of the N40bn. You must define it; you can’t just say ASUU 75 per cent and others 25 per cent. Let us know the specific percentage you are giving to NAAT as a union.
“In the MoU we entered with the government on November 18, in item Number 2b, we demanded that in sharing the N40bn released, that government should clearly define what is going to be allocated to each union and government agreed to the genuineness of our demands and said NUC and Federal Ministry of Education will work it out in conjunction with the union and what they have done negated completely the spirit of that MoU.”
The president of NAAT said its members would embark on strike action if the government doesn’t heed to their demands.
He added, “We have given the government an ultimatum of 14 days. We wrote to the government 30th December and we have given 14 working days and if at the end of the 14 working days, our demands are not met, we resume our suspended strike.
“Definitely, we will close down the schools. If anybody thinks that ASUU has called off their strike and that schools will reopen, then let the person dare us. Let us know how effective or how possible it is for schools to reopen when technologists are on strike.”
This post was written by Obiajulu Joel Nwolu.
The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.