1000 UNIZIK staff protest, claim N1b meant for their salaries misappropriated

By Madu Obi

No fewer than 1000 staff of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka employed between 2019 and 2020, have protested non payment of their salaries, claiming that N1 billion meant for paying them had been misappropriated by the management of the institution.

According to the workers, the N1 billion was provided for personnel cost and wondered why authorities of the university have not paid them for the past five years.

"We are shocked and disappointed that such a huge sum of money meant for our salaries was mismanaged and several of our members have died due to non-payment of their salaries," some of the protesters said.

However, the university management has dismissed allegations that the N1 billion personnel cost was misappropriated. According to the University Bursar, Mr. Gozie Egwuatu, only 120 staff members employed within the period were fully captured, adding that although the federal government promised to complete the process, it has failed to do so.

"Actually, in 2019 and 2020, there were some employments made, and the federal government had not introduced the IPPS, but there were capturing up to December 2020.

Those employment processes were made at the university level and so the capturing was not fully completed. The federal government said we should go through the Head of Service of the Federation and that has not been done.

The university made several applications, and it wasn't until late 2023 that it received approval for only 120 staff members, with the condition that 100 would be academic staff and 20 non-academic staff.

We are still making strong representations before the federal government, as well as members of the National Assembly who raised motions and had resolutions regarding the fate of the staff," Egwuatu said.

Regarding the N1 billion Personnel Cost, the university bursar lamented that it was misconstrued as provision for payment of salaries for the 1,000 staff members who were not fully captured.

"The federal government has explained that the sum was for the payment of arrears for the 2025 full staff of the institution.

That was the position because we thought it was for them until the federal government made that explanation.

Ever since, we have been making efforts to make the federal government complete the full capturing and ultimately pay them. The university management is aware of the plight of our staff," Egwuatu stated.