Some staff of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Awka on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest drawing the Federal Government’s attention to over five-year-long ordeal of unpaid salaries.
The protesters, clad in black attire, demonstrated round the university campus, chanting slogans and displaying placards that highlighted their plight.
They revealed that since they were employed in 2019 and 2020, they have not been paid their salaries leaving them in a terrible situation. They lamented their dire situation, orchestrated by the country’s economic hardships.
Mr. JK Ibezim, a staff member from the Department of Chemical Engineering, who spoke on behalf of the protesters revealed that the university had failed to pay their salaries since their employment.
He expressed deep concern over the loss of seven colleagues this year, attributing their deaths to the immense suffering caused by the unpaid salaries.
Mr. Ibezim stated that the constant assurances the University authorities had given them in the past that the issue will be resolved have not yielded any results.
He warned that if their demands were not met, they would escalate their protest to Abuja. Other protesters, including Mr. Chinedu Nwune, Mrs. Queensly Asu, and Mr. Daniel Nzubechi, shared similar harrowing experiences of financial hardship and neglect.
In response, Professor Joseph Ikechebelu, the Acting Vice Chancellor of UNIZIK, acknowledged the protesters’ concerns and assured them that the university management was working diligently to resolve the issue.
He explained that the payment process was contingent on budget office approval and other bureaucratic procedures.
Ikechebelu further stated that he would be in Abuja on Thursday to prioritize the matter and expedite a solution.