Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi has called on the federal government to urgently address the plight of the staff of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, who have reportedly gone without salaries for five years.
Obi made the call after meeting with the affected staff, who narrated their “shocking and heartbreaking” ordeal.
The workers, employed between 2019 and 2020, revealed that despite their valid appointments, they have been excluded from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), rendering them ineligible to receive their lawful earnings.
Obi in a statement issued Friday said the situation was not merely a case of delayed salaries but one of total exclusion from the federal payroll system.
He added: “They have written petitions and appealed to various bodies, both within and outside Nigeria, yet the situation remains unchanged. The consequences of the prolonged salary denial have been dire.”
The former governor recounted harrowing stories shared by the staff, including evictions from homes, family breakdowns, untreated medical conditions, and in some tragic instances, the death of colleagues who could not afford basic healthcare.
Obi described the situation as a reflection of systemic neglect, noting that while the nation continues to decry the poor state of its education sector, the basic obligation of paying educational workers is being ignored.
“This is not just a labour issue; it is a moral and humanitarian one,” he asserted.
Obi, therefore, urged the federal government to take swift and decisive action by enrolling the affected staff onto the IPPIS platform without further delay and ensuring that all outstanding arrears are promptly paid.
He noted: “A nation that neglects its educators and university staff undermines its own future,” Obi warned. Their dignity, like that of every Nigerian worker, must be protected.”
“The situation at Nnamdi Azikiwe University adds to growing concerns over the welfare of academic and non-academic staff across Nigeria’s public universities, many of whom have faced salary delays, inadequate funding, and poor working conditions.”