UNIZIK Staff Protest Over Unpaid Salaries

Over 1,000 UNIZIK staff protested unpaid salaries, alleging N1 billion misappropriation.
The university denied the claim, stating payroll issues delayed salary payments.
Management assured affected staff that efforts were ongoing to resolve it.

Over 1,000 staff members of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, employed between 2019 and 2020, have staged a protest over the non-payment of their salaries, alleging that N1 billion allocated for personnel costs was misappropriated by the institution’s management.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the aggrieved workers, who have remained unpaid for five years, expressed outrage over their plight, stating that financial hardship had led to the deaths of several colleagues. The protesters accused the university authorities of mismanaging funds meant for their salaries, calling for urgent intervention.

In response, the university’s management denied any misappropriation of funds. The institution’s Bursar, Mr. Gozie Egwuatu, explained that only 120 out of the affected staff members had been fully captured in the federal payroll system.

Egwuatu clarified that the employment processes in 2019 and 2020 took place before the federal government introduced the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). As a result, many of the newly hired staff were not immediately integrated into the federal salary structure.

“The employment process at the university level was incomplete. The federal government directed that it should be finalized through the Head of Service, but this has not yet happened,” he stated.

According to Egwuatu, after several appeals from the university, approval was granted in late 2023 for only 120 staff members—100 academic and 20 non-academic—to be placed on the payroll.

The Bursar further explained that the N1 billion personnel cost, which the protesting staff believed was meant for their salaries, had been misunderstood.

“The federal government clarified that the amount was intended to pay arrears for the 2025 full staff of the institution. Initially, we assumed it was for the affected staff, but we later received clarification on its actual purpose,” he added.

Despite the confusion, Egwuatu assured the protesting workers that the university management was actively engaging with the federal government and members of the National Assembly to resolve the matter.

“We recognize their struggles and will continue pushing for the full integration of all affected staff into the payroll system and ensure they receive their rightful payments,” he emphasized.