Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate, has sounded the alarm over the plight of lecturers and staff at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, who have reportedly gone unpaid for five years.
Despite being employed between 2019 and 2020, hundreds of university workers remain excluded from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), leaving them without salaries and facing severe financial hardships.
In a post shared on his X handle on Thursday, Obi recounted his meeting with teaching and non-teaching staff of UNIZIK, describing their stories as shocking and heartbreaking. He said these workers have endured years of unpaid salaries despite multiple petitions and appeals, both locally and to international bodies.
Obi revealed that the affected staff’s exclusion from IPPIS has made it impossible for the disbursement of their lawful earnings. He highlighted the devastating consequences of the salary arrears, including evictions, broken families, untreated medical conditions, and even deaths among some colleagues who could not afford basic healthcare.
“This is not just a labour issue; it is a moral and humanitarian one,” Obi said. He called on the Federal Government to act swiftly and decisively to resolve the crisis by enrolling the affected staff on the IPPIS platform and ensuring the immediate payment of all outstanding arrears.
Obi warned that neglecting educators and university staff threatens the nation’s future and stressed the urgent need to protect their dignity as workers.
The revelations have sparked public outrage and renewed calls for transparency in the recruitment and payment processes in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. Stakeholders continue to urge government authorities to intervene promptly to end the ongoing suffering of the affected staff.
