By Appolos Christian
The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has demanded the removal of Professor Munzali Jubrin, as the chairman Federal Government Renegotiation Committee on the 2009 agreement entered with University based unions.
Rising from its 44th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja recently, the president of NAAT, Ibeji Nkokoma, said that Prof. Jubrin has shown bias and sympathy towards ASUU with his recent comments and NAAT is no longer confident in getting justice during the negotiations.
Nkokoma further said that his members are owed the sum of N71 billion in arrears as part of the 2009 agreement with the federal government.
The Union also demanded that the sum of N100 billion be made available immediately and N5 Billion annually for the next five years to equip laboratories, workshops & studios in the nation’s universities to bring them to international standard in the interest of students, production of quality graduates and National development.
According to him, “This is the same person appointed to head the Government Renegotiation Team. NAAT is highly disappointed in the person of Prof. Munzali Jibrin for all the comments & sympathy expressed for ASUU. This has clearly indicated that NAAT would not get Justice & fair play with Prof. Munzali Jubrin being the Chairman, NAAT therefore, call on Prof. Munzali Jibrin to retract his statements and tender an unreserved apology to NAAT and excuse himself from presiding over the renegotiation with NAAT as we do not have confidence in him.”
He explained that members of NAAT (Technologists) are trained professionally to impact practical knowledge, but the right atmosphere is not provided, it becomes difficult for Technologists to perform their duties properly.
The NAAT president therefore called for the immediate auditing of equipment in the University Laboratories, stressing that the need to carryout equipment audit in our Universities cannot be over stressed. According to him, this is to carryout Needs Assessment of equipment to ascertain those equipment that are in bad condition & those in good condition and those equipment that are needed for proper practical teaching and research.
On the Integrated Payroll System (IPPIS), he said, “The IPPIS was intended to curb corruption, bring transparency, and to save funds syphoned through ghost workers in the education sector and indeed the civil service in general.
The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) organized series of meetings to educate unions on the workings of the IPPIS where the Consultant, Infinix demonstrated and produced copies of pay slips in which all allowances were said to have been captured with assurances that NAAT peculiarities would be taken care of.
Unfortunately, this was not the case as all our allowance contained in the 2009 FGN/NAAT agreement was removed.
“We have written series of letters and had meetings on this, up to this time; things are yet to be stream lined. NAAT recognize the fact that when a new thing is introduced, there could be some teething problems at the initial stage, but this is over seven (7) months since the IPPIS commenced in the Universities, we are yet to see any improvement.
“It is important to point out here that Federal Government must not allow herself to be black-mailed by union or organization to accept any platform, as NAAT would reject UTAS if FGN tries to impose it on the staff.”
