Varsity workers reject FG’s tertiary staff support loan

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

Abuja – The National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, has rejected the federal government’s proposed loan scheme for workers, known as the Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund, TISSF, describing it as a perpetual financial burden for its members.

Consequently, the body asked the government to fulfill its obligation by paying all outstanding arrears legitimately owed to its members.

These include three and a half months of withheld salaries, seven months of arrears for occupational hazard allowance, OHA, and the release of deductions withheld from salaries paid during two months, among others.

NAAT President,  Ibeji Nwokoma, yesterday, said subscribing to the staff support loan scheme would be tantamount to taking salary advances, effectively enslaving members financially.

Nwokoma said,  “The attention of the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, has been drawn to the federal government’s publication, titled ‘Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund, TISSF,’ a federal ministry of education and TETFund-funded program, alongside the purported revocation of 7,000 hectares of 11,000 hectares of land belonging to Yakubu Gowon University (formerly University of Abuja) by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT,  Ezenwo Nyesom Wike.

“After a thorough review of the TISSF loan document, NAAT considers the scheme a distraction and rejects it unequivocally.”

 Our members do not require a loan that will perpetually enslave them by forcing them to take their salaries in advance.

‘’We already have NAAT cooperatives that address the short-term financial needs of our members.  Rather, NAAT demands immediate payment of all legitimately earned outstanding arrears.

‘’They include three and a half months of withheld salaries, seven months arrears of Occupational Hazard Allowance, release of third-party deductions for two months of withheld but paid salaries, eleven months arrears of Responsibility Allowance (RA), twelve months arrears representing the 25% and 35% salary increments, four months arrears of the wage award, arrears of the N30,000 minimum wage for omitted members (implemented in 2019), and the release of supplementary funds to clear outstanding claims for earned allowances.”

NAAT also condemned the FCT minister’s alleged revocation of a substantial portion of land owned by Yakubu Gowon University, describing the action as both unilateral and arbitrary. While asserting that the action violated existing laws controlling the university’s land and would disrupt the institution’s masterplan, NAAT added:  “The land in question is a national treasure and cannot simply be disposed of at will.

‘’It was specifically allocated to support future development in research centers, new academic programs, growing student population, and additional hostel accommodations.

“The revocation of the land, which reduces the university’s land allocation to only 4,000 hectares from 11,000 was done without proper consultation or consideration of the university’s masterplan, severely limiting its planned expansion.”

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