Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, over the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund, a Federal Ministry of Education and TETFund-funded programme.
In a statement issued by its National President, Ibeji Nwokoma, the union said it had thoroughly examined the framework of the TISSF loan scheme.
Following its review, NAAT described the initiative as a distraction and firmly rejected it.
The union made it clear that its members do not require a loan scheme that could potentially trap them in perpetual debt. “We categorically reject this loan as it amounts to taking our salaries in advance,” the statement read. “Our members already have access to NAAT cooperatives, which adequately address their short-term financial needs.”
The union said the government should rather release payment of all outstanding arrears legitimately earned by its members, which include payment of the three and a half months of withheld salaries, payment of seven (7) months arrears of Occupational Hazard Allowance and release of third-party deductions for the two months of withheld salaries that were paid.
The union further demanded for, “payment of 11 months arrears of Responsibility Allowance, payment of 12-month arrears of 25% & 35% salary increase, payment of 4-month arrears of wage award, payment of arrears of the N30,000 Minimum Wage to omitted NAAT members (implemented in 2019) as well as the release of supplementary
NAAT appealed to the Federal Government to redirect the TISSF funds toward settling these outstanding claims. The union also urged the National Assembly—particularly the committees on tertiary education and TETFund in both the Senate and the House of Representatives—to intervene by calling the Minister to order and reversing the proposed TISSF scheme, in the interest of national development.
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