ABUJA — Newly employed teachers numbering over 1700 in federal government unity colleges, recruited between 2018, 2019, and 2020 have appealed to the government to fast track all processes that will lead to their documentation, capture, and subsequent payment of wages and backlog.
In an open letter, written to President Muhammadu Buhari, which also copied the Head of Service of the federation, chairman of Federal Civil Service Commission, the national assembly, the office of the accountant general of the federation, the Nigeria Labour Congress, federal ministry of education, amongst others, the teachers lamented starvation and ill health with no payments in sight.
According to them, “We are 2018, 2019 & 2020 recruited officers/unpaid teachers from the 110 unity colleges across the six geo-political zones. Patriotic citizens who have served our fatherland for over two years without a dime paid to us as salary or allowance in any way.
“Our appointment letters date 2018, 2019, and even recently, 2020. We wish to seize this medium to draw your attention to our plight. We are appealing that all processes that will lead to our documentation, capture and subsequent payment of wages and backlog be fast-tracked.
“We were documented in January 2020 across the six political zones of Nigeria waiting to be captured on IPPIS platform for payment of their salary to commence to no avail.
“Initially, COVID 19 was used as an excuse meanwhile their counterparts employed same time in other ministries and agencies were captured and have since been receiving salaries.
“In September 2020 a circular came out in regards to the capturing but later the process was scuttled with the Head of Service of the federation and Ministry of Education pointing out irregularities and fake issuance of appointment letters.
“This then prompted a takeover of the entire process by the Office of the Head of Service of the federation. The OHSF kicked off a fresh re-documentation exercise of which only 900+ names have been invited to Abuja for re-documentation( not on zonal levels like before, but on random selection)
“In the process of traveling to and from Abuja, two newly employed teachers were lost to accident. Others had their own near-death experiences and sad tales to tell.
“After that phase, nothing was done until the newly employed teachers agitated to know why the delay, another scheme was launched and this time, they said they were starting with Presidential awardees of NYSC.
“They invited about 900+ persons for re-documentation and capturing while over 800 persons are still pending for over a month now delaying the whole process.
“The whole process has no end or likely date of 2018, 2019 and 2020 officers” and “regularized PTA Staff” to be captured.
“We have families to care for and we have lost about five of our comrades because of starvation and ill health with no payments in sight,” he added.
The teachers, in their four points appeal, urged the government to document those who are yet to be re-documented. “We cannot bear to lose any colleague as a result of constant travels. This point should be given immediate attention within one week of receipt of this letter.
“Some persons among us are still expecting their letters, especially Kings College, Lagos. They should also be given immediate attention within one week of the receipt of this letter.
“Those who have already been re-documented and captured should be placed, paid their salaries and all arrears of salaries owed between November to December 31st, 2021.”
They added that failure to give their situation accelerated attention they may be forced to look for alternatives to ensure their voices are heard and demands are met.
Recall that in September 2020, a circular came out in regards to the capturing but later the process was scuttled with the Head of Service of the federation and Ministry of Education pointing out irregularities and fake issuance of appointment letters, prompting a takeover of the entire process by the Office of the Head of Service of the federation.
The OHSF kicked off a fresh re-documentation exercise but only 900 names were reportedly invited to Abuja for re-documentation.
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