By Emma Una, CALABAR

NATIONAL Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, in the University of Calabar, on Monday, gave notice of a two weeks warning industrial action beginning from midnight.

The decision was taken after an Emergency Congress of the Association held on Monday afternoon, presided over by the branch Chairman, Comrade Alexander Oko.

Oko, who is also the zonal Coordinator South South of the body listed 15 points demands by the association as grounds for commencement of the warning  strike.

The Association chairman said the strike is in conjunction with the national body becsuse 12 years after the signing of an Agreement with NAAT concerning the emoluments, motivation and welfare of its  members, many components of the agreement are partly implimented or not implimented at all.

“We are calling for the full implimentation of the 2009 Federal Government agreement with NAAT and the release of enabling circular for the implimentation of CONTISS 14 and 15 for Academic Technologists as contained in the Memorandum of Understanding of 2017, 2020, and 2021”.

Comrade Oko said the significance of Technologists in hospitals, educational institutions and workshops cannot be overemphasised and hopes the government would respond to their demands with despatch for the strike to be called off. 

“Non-payment of Earned Allowances to our members, specifically agreed in the MoU, of 2021 that subsequent release of Earned Allowances shall be union based and subsequent sharing shall be based on a template presented from signed Agreement of each union and not number of persons in each union. as personnel costs,” he said.

The association further listed others to include the delay in renegotiation of FGN/NAAT Agreement of 2009, non-payment of arresrs of National minimum wage, and refusal by government to release aboratories /workshop and  studios rehabilitation funds for improvement of  laboratories facilities in the country.

“The deplorable conditions of laboratories laboratories, workshops and studios in Nigerian Universities, the neglect of infrastructure, non-training of laboratories end users, mismanagement of limited funds  by univerty administrators is worsening the situation and we call for a stop”

The Association took a swipe at the recent approval for the establishment of more  universities, calling it a waste of resources and misplacement of priorities.

“While we appreciate the fact that the population of our secondary schools graduates  is rising and available spaces in our universities cannot accommodate these high numbers of students churned  out every year.

“The federal government should not resort to establishment of additional universities at the expense of existing ones which are not well funded.

“The government should concentrate in establishing modern technical colleges across the country to turn out skilled manpower and self reliant workforce for the country,” he added.

NAAT called for a stop to the conversion of laboratories to classrooms in universities, which they said is a dangerous trend signalling the end to technological education in Nigeria.