Workers at Nigerian university protest after four years without salaries

"The students I taught from year one have all graduated. What is our crime?"

Some staff members of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, Anambra State, on Thursday staged a peaceful protest over non-payment of their four years salaries.

The protesters lamented that since they got their employment letters in 2019, they had yet to be captured in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 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 read: "We are dying of hunger and depression", "We are now Debtors', "Presidency and Head of Service, save our souls".

Addressing reporters, the group's spokesperson, Echezonam Ibezi, said he could not understand why they were yet to get their salaries after going through the processes of employment.

"Since 1 January, 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.

"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 I 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, Joseph Ikechebelu, the deputy vice-chancellor, Administration, NAU, thanked the protesting staff for being civil.

He said the management was working to resolve the problem and assured them that their concerns would be considere