Unity schools’ teachers cry out over unpaid salaries

Many teachers in Federal Government Colleges across the country are complaining that they have not been paid their outstanding salaries; some running into years. The teachers said they are struggling to recover their unpaid salaries, but the authorities are claiming that all salaries have been paid up to date except where there are issues. A […]

Many teachers in Federal Government Colleges across the country are complaining that they have not been paid their outstanding salaries; some running into years.

The teachers said they are struggling to recover their unpaid salaries, but the authorities are claiming that all salaries have been paid up to date except where there are issues.

A teacher at Federal Government Boys College, Apo, Abuja, who will not want to be named said he was employed and assumed work in January 2014 but started receiving salary in November that year; the outstanding isn’t paid till date. “I and some of my colleagues are facing similar problem in spite of several complaints,” he said.

At the Federal Government College, Azare, Bauchi State, a teacher who said he was employed in 2011 and started work in 2012, added that: “I worked for 13 months without salary while some of my colleagues worked for two years and others two and half years without salary.

“Unfortunately, while government claimed to have paid the outstanding salaries, we haven’t received anything,” he added.

He said there is a rumour that government paid pending salaries from 2015 to date and skipped 2012 to 2014.

“When we tried to find out the details, some officials from the Ministry of Education called us and said they will process the payment if we paid them N10,000 in advance and then forfeit one month salary, which we declined.”

He said neither the ministry nor the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation could accept responsibility for the development.

He said the minister of education recently directed that the matter be investigated but the outcome hasn’t been known.

When contacted, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Architect Sunny Echono, said there are actually a number of new employees being owed salaries for one reason or another, but most of them have been paid, adding that effort is on to settle all pending salaries.

He said all new employees are to start receiving salaries from the date they resume work and not after employee documentation process.

Echono however agreed that there is usually delay before workers are enrolled into the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPS) platform to make room for verification.

On extortion by the ministry’s officials, Arch Echono said it is not acceptable for any civil servant to ask for money before rendering any service to people.

“We shall investigate the allegation of corruption made by the teachers,” he said.