The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has turned down the Federal Government’s proposed Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF) loan, insisting that the initiative is unnecessary and that the government should instead focus on paying all outstanding entitlements owed to its members.

In a statement issued by its National President, Ibeji Nwokoma, the union criticised the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, and the Tertiary Education Fund (TETFund), for prioritising the loan scheme over pressing salary and allowance payments.

NAAT argued that the loan would “enslave” workers by advancing salaries they have not earned, noting that members already have cooperative societies capable of meeting short-term financial needs.

The association demanded the immediate settlement of several outstanding payments, including three and a half months of withheld salaries, seven months of occupational hazard allowance arrears, and third-party deductions for two months’ salaries previously withheld.

They also listed unpaid 11 months of responsibility allowance, 12 months of 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increases, four months of wage award arrears, arrears from the N30,000 minimum wage for omitted members since 2019, and supplementary funds to clear earned allowances.

NAAT also condemned the recent revocation of University of Abuja land by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), describing the move as “unilateral” and “contrary to the laws governing the institution.”

The union stressed that the land was reserved for future research facilities, new academic programmes, and expanded student accommodation, and that revoking it would disrupt the university’s masterplan by restricting expansion to just 4,000 hectares.

The union urged the Federal Government to channel the TISSF funds towards clearing the backlog of arrears and appealed to the National Assembly’s committees on tertiary education and TETFund to intervene and ensure the land revocation is reversed.