Comrade Yusuf Bulus is the Chairman of the National Association of Academic Technologists NAAT. It took a long struggle to sit him down and when he did the chat ended up in his laboratory at the department of Pharmacy, University of Maiduguri. Before the interview, there was a tour of one of the small spaced laboratory of the faculty of pharmacy. So many lapses were pointed at. It was obvious management backed by the federal government who are the owners of the institution must hurry up to give the faculty more laboratory spaces if they want their graduates to be of contemporary standards. Below is an extract of the interview Sam Kayode had with the Comrade chairman Yusuf.
How has it been over the years working without the required equipment upgrades in the faculty of pharmacy?
The students are coping, but we need to be supervising them. So that’s the major aspect of it. That’s why I would have loved you to see the laboratory while in session so you understand the challenges. The other side….. pointing….. is the store and preparation room where we keep some equipments and reagents. When the students need to carryout their practicals, we ask the junior staffs to bring them so that we perform their experiments. We keep monitoring and observing other things because there are some of the reagents that you may likely not put inside that place. You need to keep it inside your office, so that your eyes will always be there.
How has the Government kept its word concerning equipment upgrades because I know President Jonathan approved funds before he left office after the first agreement.
Yes, it was N30 billion.
What is the situation now in terms of the fight for general upgrades between ASUU, NAAT and the Federal Government?
Actually, as you stated, this strike was as a result of the 2009 agreement. When the 2009 agreement was signed there were components of it not fulfilled. Now let me be specific to that of NAAT and then talk about that of ASUU. The 4 affiliated unions in the University which are ASUU, SSANU, NASU and NAAT, had their own separate agreements. ASUU, SSANU, NASU all did theirs and NAAT too. The four unions were fighting the Federal Government and that led them into unfulfilled promises. The components of the agreement was different as each union had its own deal separately. Federal Government in its own logic gave us 30 billion naira, in 2007 and that was released during Goodluck’s period, you know it was supposed to be Goodluck and Yar’Adua. But actually, it was Goodluck that was on seat, they now released that money. So that money was shared based on seniority.
Is NAAT entitled to earned allowances, like ASUU?
No, you see in our components, we have responsibility, occupational, hazard, SWIS and field trip allowances. That occupational hazard allowance is to be paid N30,000 monthly for each technologist, that’s for NAAT members, which we have started benefiting as from last year when we joined the integrated Parole and Personnel Integrated Systems (IPPIS) . Now, responsibility allowances, for heads of the labs, like me who is heading this lab and the excess of that money is for somebody who is taking inventory of what is coming in and what is going out. So we are able to hold one and Federal Government has considered and has started implementing the payment of N25,000 every month. So when they paid that money, they just shared it like that. When it comes to this hazard allowances, junior staff is collecting N15,000, senior staff N30,000 that’s what I am specifically talking about NAAT. But when it comes to the issue of this 2009 agreement, that’s what I am trying to tell you that each union has it own agreement. But when the money came in, the lion share was carried by ASUU, so the other ones were shared to SSANU, NASU, NAAT based on seniority. But from that one too, NAAT got the second lion share, because as of then, our chiefs who are the most senior by ranking got about N900,000, while the junior ones got the least of N300,000 that is how the money was shared. But in the subsequent one, when we fought, they gave us our rights. The Federal Government now sent an audit committee to come and audit what was collected from them and that is how we shared what is our outstanding. So from then on Federal Government gave us another money for good 3 terms. Until this recent strike which started around February last year our encounter with them has not been easy. Lets be specific ASUU was fighting for revitalization in the 2009 agreement, that’s the revitalization we are talking about and you can see the stands of the University and the equipments in this lab.
But how much did NAAT get from that N30 billion?
The N30 billion was for the whole country, for the four unions. They didn’t share it in Abuja. It was shared in each institution. 18 percent of the money was given to the three unions. And that was to take care of EARNED and other related allowances.
So how many years of EARNED allowances is the ministry of education owing the Federal Universities?
Let me be specific with that of NAAT, when we calculated and gave our outstanding, what was given to us was not up to 30 percent of what we expected from Federal Government. Lets say you are expecting N200 billion they now gave you N30 billion and that is for EARNED allowances. As for revitalization, Federal Government has been sending money for revitalization. And we and the other non teaching staffs have been benefitting. We were even expecting before joining the strike. And the money that is coming for revitalization is to buy equipments, reagents and consumables. But where we have problem is that the end users were not incorporated in using that money. The money will come to the University which is supposed to be taken care of by the governing council and then buy those things, but because of the situation we find ourselves, we cannot access it. So the issue of the state of the Universities is that the Federal Government may give that money, but it is not used judiciously.
Are you saying that some people are deeping hands into the funds and diverting same?
Sure, and divert it, instead of making proper appropriation for it to go round where the needs exists.
I see tarred roads on campus, could it not be that management here is benefiting from the upgrade support to fix the school already?
No, if you are talking about those newly tarred roads you are seeing, it’s not only Zulum’s support, I know of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporations NNPC’s, Federal Ministry of Works and other interventions. The needs assessments normally takes care of equipments, roofing, hostels, the structure in classrooms, laboratories, workshops, studios teaching facilities, this is where revitalization is coming into.
So can we say Federal Government has not paid any of the aggrieved allowances for 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018?
Yes, in fact from 2017 to date.
So even ASUU has not seen 2017?
Yes, what has been given was the backlog. The last money that dropped for say from 2013 to 2016, so 2017 to date nothing has been received.
At least for a lab small as this?
Not for this side lab, but for the standard of the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) or Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) considering Its students per ratio or students per staff. We are supposed to have 20 students per one staff. If you look at what is happening here in this lab, where I am the only technologist it’s not so. So if there was provision, and had it been five of us are here which means 5 multiplied by 20 its supposed to be 100. And in a situation whereby I am the only person, which means the remaining 80 are excess workload, so that is why government is supposed to pay me my allowances. If you are talking about space. Here they calculate 20 students per one staff, if in a course, one course four lecturers are taken care of that course which means we are going to share it when the money comes. So they will calculate 20 times 4 which is 80, the remaining 20 is excess workload. Then if you are talking about revitalization where it affects the students especially in the lab here, the capacity of this building is supposed to be 48. They admit 130 students, so if they admitted 130 something, its triple. So we normally use to divide the students into groups. Group A, B, C. Group A will come today 3 hours next group B will come next C will come that’s how we share. That’s why they complain about academic staff and even we the technologist that is if the space is available the equipments and material should be available. If you look at the size of this one and look at the equipments now, are they okay? How many Microscopes is available in this lab? Where we have 120 students and the capacity of the lab is 48, we are supposed to have 48 to 50 microscopes. That is one for the lecturer, one for the technologist, and each student should have one. Which means the students will not go and join another group for them to carry out their practicals. Two, if you look at lightening system, look at Air conditioners (AC’s) here, if you allow 40 students to be here you know how much you are going to contain. The ACs are not working. This lab is not even supposed to contain fan, but look at it in the absence of ACs you now put fan and you see its another problem which means its circulating. This means the place is not safe for learning.
What is delaying the second pharmacy structure that will give you more lab spaces?
Actually, I should not be in the best position to tell you, but out of experience I am a union leader because I normally used to ask questions. Its the system that is destroying itself, now if a building is given as a contract whereby some percentage will be given to you. You will be paid based on the stage you reach, but for the past three years now they gave that building and the time for that building is supposed to be 14 month, today its almost 72 months that they gave it out and it has not been built. That is why I said I am not in the best position to tell you what is going on. But I learnt that TET fund has given a direct contract from Abuja for the completion of the second pharmacy structure. The contractor would just come in and start working, and sadly that means we the end users that are supposed to correct them can’t talk to them. What you request is not what would be provided in most cases. That is the disadvantage.
Big minus indeed for you the users of the facilities which are overloaded here.
Yes and a lot of duplication from the contractors they make money out of duplication of items instead of them bringing this pen, somebody went and brought another variety of pen or even pencil. He said, I said that is the one that I want, why are you bringing pencil? Please the function of the pens and pencils are different just go and get what we asked for. So in the process of changing, they will say its like you are not cooperating with us, no problem we will go back and then they will dump and forget you. That is exactly what is happening with even the supply of equipments here. It’s sad.
What are those challenges that have been choking you here?
Most of the challenges is electricity light especially for the labs. Electricity is one, two, water system. Three spacing, you know a situation whereby this lab is built for 48 students, because of the competition and the situation we find ourselves, they admitted 150 students. Then the big challenge is lack of consistent training of our technologists. Regular training, because the equipments that you got training in 1980, 1990, is not the one we are using now. Insurance is the fourth. lack of insurance is a major problem. I know NAAT has its, insurance policy but its not implemented. If you are working in the lab, there are some reagents here if you are working that can kill you and even destroy your reproductive cells. You see somebody with a fine wife, but he cannot give birth, the reagents has sterilized the reproductive cells. If he has an insurance, it will take care of that. But you know we have a policy, but the policy is not being implemented. Why the union was agitating for that renegotiation, this renegotiation the last time they increased the money was that 2009 agreement. From now if you look at the rate of, lets talk of dollars now or let’s talk of even the naira say as of 2009, a bag of rice was N2000. Today a bag of rice is N35,000. At 2009 you don’t pay any money for your student needs even government school, but today you must pay. Things have changed completely, so people are now moving helter skelter looking for other places where they can get extra jobs so that they can survive. And if you are going to talk specifically of unimaid, we have a peculiar problem, thank God you have that experience. You were here when the crisis was at its peak, everybody ran and left Maiduguri, because life doesn’t have duplicate, so somebody will run and find another place. So these are the reasons why our welfare is supposed to be taken care of.
But has insurance been part of the findings of the Babalakin commission?
Yes. As I have said we have it in our own 2009 agreement, but even some parts of the 2009 agreement was silent. People were just agitating about where the money will come from. That is why, if you go out now asking Technologists, they would tell you that our hazard, responsibility, student implementation ratio which is excess workload, our SIWES and all these allowances are known. But people are silent about insurance. We have been talking about insurance, but you know I don’t know how to classify it, is it because of the individual unions, the leadership interest. But I know that in our 2009 agreement it is there. People are silent all over about the matter. And they are talking about this IPPIS let us be sincere to ourselves, I am a union leader, these are what I am interested in, I don’t bother about how you pay but what I am going to get there is where I am interested in.
How are you surviving with the IPPIS?
The reality is, that sometimes ago when we were about joining this IPPIS as leaders, we were briefed that this thing is going to be captured that one is going to capture, but it was not realistic when we joined IPPIS. I thought that this is something that the union leaders should fight and why is it that there are abnormalities. This was not what we agreed for, correct it or else. But if somebody is talking about IPPIS now I am surprise because why is it that some lecturers are going for sabbatical, if they are not paying you why should you go? I know of my people that went for sabbatical, if they are not paid there, why should they go.
NAAT too go for sabbatical?
Yes, we go sabbatical, I know about 15 of my members went for sabbatical why are they going if they are not getting anything? why should you go and spend a complete year somewhere else if you are not getting money? There are people that have never gone for sabbatical. Is an agreement that you arrange with somebody. Like one visiting they don’t pay you full salary but they would say we are paying so for so either they would pay from internally generated revenue IGR or whatsoever the management is going to consider. We have enough money to pay these people because we don’t have them as contract staff. I know some of the contract staff that got their money from IPPIS.
I don’t think they paid anything to contract staff, they are owing during the strike.
Good, but other staffs yes during the strike let me tell you the worst strike that ever happen in this country is this strike. Even overhead, Federal Government refused to send it, how do they expect these people to run the schools? Are Vice Chancellors on strike, Registrar’s, Bursar’s essential services?
That was a mistake, the government shouldn’t have done that? You are right
Its like they wanted to destroy, or eliminate the whole thing. Yes if not for the whole 7 month or 8 month you have not sent over head cost and you still expect to come and see that structure, in the system. So this strike is something very strange it was not a strike but another battle. Because its like people came with some of their interests to come and revenge or to come and destabilize things, if not, let me be specific like this primary school and secondary school they were called that if you are on strike and that you don’t want you will not come, how are you going to do with your children, they came and they were not given single kobo. Security men there were on duty, fire service they were on duty, nothing was given to them. And if you come back to the lab now look at the animals. If you go on strike for one month without feeding those animals, what will happen are you coming to meet the animals alive?
Now looking at salary raise of 35 percent that was given to Profs, did they give NAAT members of equivalent status this?
We got 23.5 percent. For NAAT, NASU and SSANU 23.5 percent. We suspended the strike for 3 month hoping that things will be okay. But if things are not okay we may go back for another NAAT meeting and review the stand of the association. As NAAT we always believe in dialogue and law, so that because of our number and the challenges that I said. If you go and meet a Professor of History, or of religious knowledge where he doesn’t know, he doesn’t bother about laboratory or talking about technology taking care of it. For you to graduate you must pass through technologists. Well ASUU is collecting students implementation ratio, we collect our student supplementation ratio. I am very proud to tell you that in this school we have enjoyed student supplementation ratio for almost 3 years collecting our salaries. Because that was our right and they know and they look at it that yes it is good to pay us. We stay and conduct practicals up to 5 o’clock or 6 pm. Sometimes we have to leave our houses 7 o’clock for practical in the mornings.
The negotiation of the 2009 agreement continues as far as NAAT is concerned. Do you believe that it is solvable?
Yes, they have not accepted it, because the renegotiation is not talking about holding salaries but was talking about allowances and then services, scheme of services. The other ones we are talking about are health insurances, some other allowance that people are benefiting in other climes but we are not benefiting. Then I said renegotiation of, arrears of earned allowances.
