Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, has expressed concern about a group of academic and non-academic staff at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, who have apparently been without pay for five years.
He called on the federal government to intervene in the case.
Obi made the call following a meeting with the affected employees on Friday, who described their surprising and tragic experience.
The workers were apparently employed between 2019 and 2020, but despite their authorised appointments, they were removed from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, rendering them ineligible to receive their lawful salary.
“They have written petitions and appealed to various bodies, both within and outside Nigeria, yet the situation remains unchanged,” he said.
According to him, the consequences of the prolonged salary denial have been dire, and he recounted harrowing stories shared by employees, such as eviction from their homes, family breakdowns, untreated medical conditions, and, in some tragic cases, the death of colleagues who could not afford basic healthcare.
Obi condemned the situation, which he described as a result of institutional neglect, noting that although the country continues to lament the terrible state of its education sector, the basic obligation of paying educational staff is being overlooked.
“This is not just a labour issue; it is a moral and humanitarian one. A nation that neglects its educators and university staff undermines its own future. Their dignity, like that of every Nigerian worker, must be protected,” Obi said.
He asked the federal government to take immediate and decisive action by enrolling the impacted employees on the IPPIS network and ensuring that all pending arrears are paid.
He said that the situation at UNIZIK adds to mounting worries about the welfare of academic and non-academic personnel across Nigeria’s public universities, many of whom, he observed, have endured salary delays, insufficient funding, and bad working conditions.
