Approximately 1,000 lecturers at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK) have staged a protest over the non-payment of their salaries since their employment in 2019.
The aggrieved staff, wielding placards with various inscriptions, lamented the hardship they have endured, with 12 of their colleagues reportedly passing away while waiting for their remuneration.
The lecturers questioned whether their withheld salaries were due to the federal government or the university administration, demanding immediate explanations and action.
One of the affected lecturers, Mr. Chukwuebuka Emmanuel, a visually impaired staff member at the Centre for Disabilities and Special Needs Research, expressed his frustration, stating that despite working diligently for the past five years, he has yet to receive any payment.
“We were initially told the issue was with the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), but even after the then Governing Council approved our payment, nothing changed,” Emmanuel said.
The protesters urged the university management to take urgent steps to resolve the issue, emphasizing that the prevailing economic hardship in the country has made their situation even more unbearable.
