Unical Staff Protest Non- Payment Of 7-Year Backlog Of Salaries Arrears, IPPIS Enrollment

The protesters, numbering 266 and employed under former Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Zana Akpagu, said they have not been captured on payroll or paid since employment despite completing documentation and assuming duty.

Spokesperson for  the affected staff, Mr. Nesta Akpama,said they received employment letters and started documentation before COVID-19 lockdown, but were stopped when Prof. Florence Obi assumed office as Vice-Chancellor.

“We were employed in 2019/2020 during Prof. Akpagu administration. We received letters and started documentation. Majority completed documentation.

“COVID-19 came and we were asked to come one by one to avoid crowd. After COVID, we resumed duty,” he said, adding that the new administration halted the process for verification.

He said a committee set up to verify the employment cleared them but they were still not payrolled. “She said she wants to verify status of employment. She formed a committee and the committee resolution said nothing was found wanting, that we should continue. But she kept keeping us,” Akpama stated.

The staff said they petitioned the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, which held hearings with UNICAL management, the Head of Service of the Federation and other universities with similar cases, and resolved that they should be absorbed immediately.

“Head of Service wrote to the school in a letter with reference no OHCSF/HOS/RIOF/50676 dated 8th April, 2025 requesting they should payroll us immediately. House of Reps sent resolution that the school should absorb us and payroll us immediately,” he said.

He said with the appointment of a new vice-chancellor, they expected implementation of the directives but discovered fresh recruitment was ongoing in the school, prompting the protest.

“We gave some time, keep coming, keep engaging. Yesterday as routine visit, we discovered a group of persons filing into his office, an employment going on in school.

We are here for VC to address us why he has not respected or implemented resolutions from House of Reps and directives from Head of Service of Federation, and why new employment is going on,” he said.

Akpama said though the official list is 266, less than 100 were physically present, which shows their desperation for the job, lamenting that none of them has been paid for seven years.

“From the list, we have 266 sent to the school. In physical, we are not up to 100. That shows we need this job. We have never been paid at all. For seven years,” he said, calling on the new Vice-Chancellor to implement the resolutions and enroll them into IPPIS.

When asked to react on  the peaceful protest, staff of Unical Public Relations Office (PRO) Mr. Erete Ikpeme, said “You I have no authority to speak on that issue as my boss the PRO who is at a moment not feel fine has not given me the authorization to make a comment on such sensitive issue. Please call him over and over to get his reaction.