ASUP Decries Eight-Month Salary Delays in Federal Tertiary Institutions

[Student Village]

…May Order Nationwide Work Boycott if Situation Persists

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has raised alarm over the prolonged delay in the payment of staff salaries across federal tertiary institutions, warning that continued inaction could lead to a full-scale work boycott.

In a statement released on Sunday in Abuja, ASUP’s National President, Shammah Kpanja, described the situation as both unacceptable and demoralising. He attributed the delays to the ongoing transition from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS).

According to Kpanja, the transition has resulted in salary disruptions for staff in federal polytechnics for the past eight months.

“This trend of subjecting staff to the mental torture of waiting indefinitely for their already devalued salaries coincided with the migration from IPPIS to GIFMIS,” the statement said.

Kpanja added that despite repeated formal complaints to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the situation has seen no improvement.

“Every month ends with workers in distress. We are told delays come from the Office of the Accountant General, which controls both platforms. But after eight months, this excuse no longer holds.”

He accused the Federal Government of treating academics with disregard, noting that while political elites indulge in excessive spending, those who educate the nation are left to survive on delayed and diminished salaries.

“This is clear evidence of how little value the government places on education and those who work in the sector,” he said.

“Our members have become beggars, borrowing monthly to survive. Meanwhile, leaders remain consumed with power grabs and campaign activities.”

ASUP is now demanding the immediate release of June 2025 salaries and an end to the pattern of late payments. The union warned that if the trend continues, it will have no choice but to direct its members to withdraw services from all affected polytechnics.

“We will not sit by while our members suffer. If the delay continues, our union will instruct members to stay away from their duties until full payment is made. We’ll adopt the same stance at the end of each month if this persists,” Kpanja concluded.

ASUP also called on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to prevent a breakdown in industrial harmony, especially within the polytechnic sector.

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