Union Shuts Varsity’s Laboratories, ICT Centre, Others

Members of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), University of Maiduguri branch  has, yesterday, embarked on a three-day warning strike by shutting down laboratories, information and communication technology (ICT) centre, medical college and other related departments in the school in protest of their withheld salaries and non-implementation of 2009 agreement among others.

Addressing members who gathered with placards carrying various inscriptions such as “NAAT frowns at FGN non-response to union correspondences”, “NAAT demands immediate payment of 5-1/2 months salaries, “NAAT demands immediate implementation of the 2009 agreement”, among others, the branch chairman, Comrade Yusuf Bulus Dalbatu, said despite repeated subtle reminders, in form of written correspondences from the union, the government remains insensitive to their plight.

He said the union unanimously decided to abide by the outcome of the virtual conference held on the 13th March, 2024, and the outcome of branch congress resolution held on the 18th March, 2024, to embark on three days warning strike commencing from the 20 March, 2024, terminating on 22 March, 2024.

Dalbatu said in the course of this warning industrial strike, all laboratories will be shut down, adding that there will be no conducting and teaching of practicals , no project works and no conducting of research works.

He listed some of the previous demands which the government have failed to implement to include,” Full implementation of 2009 agreement; Payment of outstanding earned allowances; release of enabling circular for carrier elongation for CONTISS 14 and 15; upgrade of obsolete equipment and improve the dilapidated structural state of laboratories in our citadel of higher learning and re-negotiation of the aforementioned 2009 agreement.”