The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has blasted President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime for being sluggish to resolve the ongoing impasse between the association and the government.

NAAT President Ibeji Nwokoma stated this in a statement titled ‘Blame the snail speed of negotiation by the government for the lingering strike action’, issued on Wednesday.

“We wish to put it on record and also put the records straight that the federal government should be blamed for the lingering strike action by the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT),” Mr Nwokoma pointed out. “The truth is that we are tired of signing memorandum of action or understanding with timelines with the government for which they have over time failed woefully to abide by.”

He added that the leadership of the union sympathised with the students “of which our children are part of.”

“We wish to plead with well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the government to as a matter of urgency bring the negotiations to a logical conclusion as soon as possible,” the statement said.

He further said it was important to restate that the union had a conciliatory meeting with the labour minister on May 6. Mr Nwokoma also mentioned the tripartite meeting chaired by the chief of staff to the president, Ibrahim Gambari, at the villa on May 12. He lamented that the meetings did not yield the desired results.

“The meetings of March 21 and April 21 with the renegotiation committee are by all ramifications slow as no financial commitment has been made by the government to our union apart from the recent meetings by a sister union with the government,” he revealed. “NAAT therefore pleads with the government to hasten up the process of the renegotiation to enable all outstanding issues to be sorted out amicably.” 

(NAN)