The Vice-Chancellor Professor Kolawole Salako has commended the essential role the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) is playing in the University system particularly as it relates to analyzing samples, executing laboratory tests and data generation.
Speaking while receiving the Zonal Executives of NAAT Southwest who paid him a Courtesy Call, Professor Salako who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development), Professor Lateef Sanni noted that Technologists play a vital role in the research output of researchers and hence must always uphold integrity and professionalism.
He charged them to jealously safeguard their laboratories and research equipment while making sure that reagents in their laboratories are of pure quality and viable.
“Make Sure that it will not be in your lab that fake data would be found. Your pride should be that in your lab, you have produced numerous professors” he added.
The Vice-Chancellor particularly commended the positive role of the NAAT Chairman under the current leadership of Comrade Joseph Olurinde for being tough yet very reasonable and responsible which he said had enabled him to get so many things for his members while making sure that nobody underrates NAAT members and professionalism.
He however, pleaded with the Executives to always remember that they are staff of the University before being a member or chairman of a Union, adding that “wherever it is we are getting our salary is very important and must be appreciated”.
Professor Salako charged the Union to continue to organize capacity building training programmes as well as instructional and induction training for new technologists, to keep them well- informed of the latest technological developments in their fields
Responding, the NAAT National Chairman, Comrade Sanni Suleman represented by the Zonal Secretary, Comrade Ismail Adeleke appreciated the University’s Management for the cordial relationship enjoyed by her members in the University.
He however, appealed for increased support for her members in the areas of Health Insurance Scheme for technologists working in the Laboratories as well as the need for Technologists to be carried along when laboratory equipment is to be procured.
Comrade Suleman further requested that Technologists are allowed to work closely with Researchers while carrying out their research so that their impacts will be better felt.
He advocated for more training opportunities for Technologists to guard against generation of fake data.
Speaking on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), the National Chairman, Comrade Sanni Suleman implored the Vice-Chancellor to incorporate all the allowance due to Technologists such as the occupational hazard allowance into their monthly salary that is to be prepared and submitted to IPPIS.
In her response, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Morenike Dipeolu assured the NAAT executives that all their entitlements will be paid as IPPIS has a template that will be used for every category of staff and as such, they will not be short-changed.
