Maduako Igbokwe I Thursday, July 27, 2023
LAGOS, Nigeria – Four years after employment, staff of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK),Awka, Anambra State have staged a peaceful protest against non-payment of their salaries.
The protesting staff on Thursday lamented that since they were given letters of employment in 2019, they are yet to be captured in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
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During the protest members of the group displayed placards with different inscriptions. Some of the inscriptions were : ‘Federal Government, do come to our rescue’, ‘it’s been 4 years of employment with NAU without pay’ and ‘Senate and House of Reps, our case needs urgent attention’.
Others include, ‘We are dying of hunger and depression’, ‘We are now Debtors’, ‘Presidency and Head of Service, save our souls’, among others. The group’s spokesperson, who spoke to journalists Mr Echezonam Ibezim said he could not understand why they were yet to get their salaries after going through the processes of employment.
“Since January 1, 2019, when we got our employment letters and resumed work, we have not been paid a “dime” till today.The school management said we have to be captured in IPPIS first.
“At some point, about 120 persons were sent text messages to go to Enugu for IPPIS capturing and after that, the remaining 1,311 persons were yet to be captured.
“They keep saying they are working on it, but this is four years running, nothing has been done, no salaries. We come to work regularly, the students we taught from year one have all graduated. What is our crime? We are suffering, many of us cannot afford to pay our rents and pay other bills.
“We are holding this protest to call the attention of the National Assembly, the HOS and Nigerians, to our plights. The Federal government should come to our rescue,” he said.
Responding, Prof. Joseph Ikechebelu, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, NAU, thanked the protesting staff for being civil. He said that the management was working to resolve the problem and assured them that their concerns would be considered
