The rift over the sharing of the N21.127bn earned allowances among the university unions has deepened with the National Association of Academic Technologists demanding 25 per cent share.

The association berated the Federal Government for failing to abide by the agreement it signed with the union regarding the sharing of the third tranche of the earned allowances.

NAAT insisted that the government must share the N22.127bn earned allowances as stipulated in the memorandum of understanding dated February 4, 2021, and the 2009 agreement.

The President of the association, Mr Ibeji Nwokoma, who revealed the stand of the association at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday, explained that this was the decision of the union’s leadership after a meeting held on Wednesday at its national secretariat in Abuja.

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The Non-Academic Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, and NAAT had earlier rejected the sharing formula in a letter to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, last week.

It was gathered that the Academic Staff Union of Universities was projected to take 75 per cent while the other three unions will share the remaining 25 per cent.

But Nwokoma, while expressing strong opposition to the sharing formula, submitted that the 25 per cent allocated to the non-teaching staff unions should be shared to them based on the agreement signed by the FG and NAAT and not on the number of members of each union or personnel cost.

He said, “However, the present sharing (formula) does not reflect this understanding. The 25 per cent allocated to the non-teaching staff unions should be clearly allocated to each union on the basis of signed FGN/university-based unions 2009 agreement.