The Accountant General of the Federation has been approached by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) to inquire about the disturbing pattern of postponements in the disbursement of monthly salary due to its members.
Recall that these delays first appeared at SSANU after staff data was migrated to the GIFMIS platform, which stands for Government Integrated Financial and Management Information System.
To prevent a disintegration of industrial harmony in the country’s universities, SSANU has petitioned for immediate action.
The president of SSANU, Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim, signed a letter titled “Concern Over the Consistent Delay in the Payment of Monthly Salaries of University Workers” on 7 May 2025. It detailed the union’s dissatisfaction with the ongoing salary delays experienced by university-based unions following their departure from IPPIS.
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of SSANU/NASU and the Federal Government came to an agreement in 2022 to end a long strike; Ibrahim pointed out that the current delays violate that agreement.
No union member participating in the strike would be subjected to any type of victimization, according to the 2022 agreement, which was reaffirmed in the letter that was copied to the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa; the Minister of Labor and Employment, Dr. Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi; and the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC.
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) is writing to voice its strong displeasure with the frequent postponement of university employees’ monthly salary payments, especially following our departure from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
Our members’ salaries are typically paid two weeks after other federal employees’ salaries have been dispersed, which is a terrible practice since we left IPPIS.
A great deal of worry and animosity among our members has been generated by this pattern, and it has continued. We perceive this delay as more than just an administrative oversight; it is an outright manifestation of bias against our union.
We would like to bring to your attention the fact that a fundamental aspect of the 2022 agreement—which resulted in the cessation of our industrial action—was a promise that no union member would be subjected to victimization of any kind. This promise was made by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of SSANU/NASU and the Federal Government.
“It seems like our union’s legal decisions and actions have been met with this punitive response—a persistent delay in compensation payments—clearly violating that agreement.
The delicate industrial peace that exists inside the university system is jeopardized by such treatment, which is intolerable. Such discriminatory tactics undermine morale and wellbeing, and SSANU will not sit on its hands while its members endure them.
We are requesting that your office look into this matter immediately and find a solution so that university employees can get their salary according to the federal government’s standard payment schedule. In order to protect its members’ rights and dignity, the union may have to take necessary action if any additional delays are seen as intentional.
“To prevent a disintegration of industrial harmony in our educational institutions, we rely on your prompt and fair intervention.”