The former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, recently raised alarm over the non-payment of salaries to staff members of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, for a staggering five-year period. His statement, posted on social media, has since ignited a firestorm of reactions from Nigerians who are questioning the legitimacy of the claims, the role of the affected workers, and the timing of their alleged recruitment.
According to Obi, he met with a group of teaching and non-teaching staff employed between 2019 and 2020, who claim they have not received a single salary in five years. “These are individuals who were duly employed by the university… yet have remained without pay,” Obi said. He described their condition as “shocking and heart-breaking,” citing cases of eviction, broken homes, untreated health conditions, and even death.
Obi’s post further highlighted the systemic issues at play, explaining that the workers were excluded from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), the federal platform for salary disbursement. “What they face is not simply delayed salaries, but complete exclusion from IPPIS, which has made the disbursement of their lawful earnings impossible,” he wrote.
The Labour Party stalwart emphasized the humanitarian aspect of the matter, calling it a “moral and humanitarian issue,” not merely a labour one. “I call on the Federal Government to act swiftly… The affected staff must be immediately enrolled on the IPPIS platform, and all outstanding arrears must be paid without delay,” Obi urged. He concluded with a warning: “A nation that neglects its educators and university staff undermines its own future.”
However, Obi’s advocacy quickly drew a barrage of skeptical and even accusatory responses from Nigerians online. A user, @Segolopade, dismissed the claims entirely: “If you’re in an employment for 3-6 months & you were not paid all through & you still remain in that employment… you’re a thief or a ghost worker. Either ways, you’re a criminal and should be in jail.”
Another user, @uwevictorC, argued that the issue might not be as simple as Obi portrayed. “In as much as we do not know the terms of contract it will be difficult to conclude. I know the people involved are not mad to be working for 5 years without pay… somehow, they are getting something to keep body and soul,” he commented.
@ezelumchris, drawing from civil service experience, noted, “The earliest time you get paid as a new employee is three months and you will be paid arrears. The right question is, why will the government employ these people if their services are not needed?”
Another commenter, @aymuld1129, found the story implausible. “There’s truly no way someone can work for over three months, let alone half a year, without receiving a single payment, and still continue going to work,” he said, adding that even transportation costs make such claims difficult to believe.
@kennybliz1515 shared a personal account of being in a similar situation. “It happened to me and after two years of relentless service… We were disengaged without pay,” he said, corroborating the existence of employment without compensation but adding a tone of resignation.
@Deborahtoluwase, another user, questioned the legality of the recruitment: “Your excellency, you need to ask them questions about their exclusion from IPPIS. There was an embargo on employment during this period.” She urged Obi to clarify how they were employed when federal universities were not permitted to recruit.
Similarly, @elvis, who identified as a lecturer, echoed the embargo concerns: “The FG is yet to lift the embargo especially between 2020-2024 when unis were under IPPIS. I don’t know whether the migration to GIFMIS changes this. When I was employed, I did my enrolment in month 5 and salary came in month 8.”
@stevesoji added a sharper critique: “Let Obi go and pay the illegal staffs and not ask the federal government to engage in illegality,” while suggesting that the hiring itself might have been against federal guidelines.
In a more sympathetic tone, @jerry_emy narrated his own ordeal: “I had to forfeit around 8 months’ salary to this issue until it was resolved. The embargo of a thing is real, and without proper clearance, you are just wasting your time to work because you can’t be paid by FG.”
Despite the criticism, Peter Obi’s advocacy has placed a spotlight on the long-standing issue of unpaid workers in Nigerian universities. A 2023 report by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) noted that over 5,000 academic and non-academic staff across various institutions face delayed or denied salaries due to IPPIS irregularities, bureaucratic recruitment lapses, and employment embargoes.
While many agree that unpaid labour in the education sector is indefensible, questions remain about the legality of these recruitments and the role of university administrators. Public reaction to Obi’s statement has revealed a deeply polarized sentiment—one that demands more transparency, proof, and accountability from both the government and the institutions involved.
For now, the fate of the affected staff at Nnamdi Azikiwe University hangs in the balance. Whether their ordeal will trigger meaningful policy change or be lost in political discourse remains to be seen. What’s certain is that Peter Obi has again ignited national debate—this time over justice, legality, and the value of labour in Nigeria’s embattled higher education sector.
