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The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has expressed grave concern over the persistent delay in the disbursement of monthly salaries to staff members of federal tertiary institutions, describing the situation as not only unacceptable but also symptomatic of the federal government’s growing disregard for the academic community.
In a strongly worded statement released on Sunday in Abuja, and signed by its National President, Shammah Kpanja, ASUP directly attributed the salary delays to the ongoing migration from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).
According to the union, this transition has been fraught with operational challenges that continue to affect the timely payment of salaries across federal polytechnics.
Kpanja decried what he referred to as the “undeserved treatment” suffered by academic workers amid an economic climate marked by widespread hardship and skyrocketing living costs.
He noted that for the past eight months, federal tertiary institutions have experienced consistent delays in salary payments—an unfortunate trend that has subjected staff to psychological distress and financial instability.
“Our Union has noticed a recurring pattern of delays in the payment of staff salaries in Federal Tertiary Institutions for over eight months now,” the statement reads.
“This disturbing development began around the time institutions started migrating from the IPPIS platform to the GIFMIS platform.
Since then, workers have been forced to endure prolonged uncertainty, with no clear timeline for when they’ll receive their already inadequate salaries.”
ASUP revealed that despite repeated formal complaints to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), the issue has persisted without any tangible resolution.
Government officials involved in the salary disbursement process have reportedly shifted blame to the OAGF, citing funding delays as the primary cause of the problem.
“It is extremely disappointing that despite both IPPIS and GIFMIS being managed by the same office—the Accountant General’s—there appears to be no coordinated plan to ensure a smooth transition,” Kpanja said.
“Eight months is far too long to label as a ‘transition period.’ This signals a lack of urgency and a troubling level of neglect towards the education sector.”
The union further argued that the continued mishandling of salary payments suggests that the government places little to no value on education and the welfare of its academic workforce. According to Kpanja, many lecturers have been reduced to beggars, relying on debts and loans to survive each month.
“What is most painful,” the statement added, “is the contrast between the suffering endured by academic staff and the extravagant lifestyles of political office holders.
While lecturers struggle to feed their families, political elites bask in luxury and prepare for the next election cycle, unbothered by the systemic rot they oversee.”
In a call to action, ASUP demanded the immediate release of June 2025 salaries for all affected federal tertiary institutions. The union warned that continued delays would not only worsen the financial plight of academic staff but also destabilize the already fragile industrial peace in the sector.
“The government must reverse this dangerous trend immediately. We are deeply concerned about the sustainability of industrial harmony in polytechnics and other tertiary institutions,” the union emphasized.
“If there is no improvement in the coming days, we may have no choice but to instruct our members to withdraw their services from all affected institutions.
“This action, once commenced, will be sustained until salaries are paid. We also reserve the right to adopt the same approach every subsequent month that salaries are delayed.”
ASUP’s message was clear: unless the federal government takes urgent steps to address this crisis, the union will not hesitate to escalate its response, including potential nationwide industrial action.