• It’s matter we can’t just give Yes or No answer
– Director, Human Resources
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
No fewer than 526 employees of the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS), Kaduna, have cried out over unpaid salary arrears, alleging that are owed five years salary.
In a statement titled, Complaint on Non-Payment of Five Years’ Salaries at the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS), the staff disclosed that some of them had been posted to various offices of the Board across the country.
The statement was jointly signed by some of the affected staff: Abdusalam Ibrahim, Abubakar Sadiq muhammad and Nuhu Zira, and made available to Sunday Sun.
Another of the affected staff, Abbas Yunus Aminu with file number 7263, said he had filled the Assumption Duty Form with his bank details and submitted to the Board on February 5, 2021, but the salary was not paid.
However, the Director of Human Resources Management of the Board, Abdulrashid Salman, who spoke with Sunday Sun report said: “The matter goes beyond Yes or No answer, we cannot give Yes or No answer to the matter,”
Salman requested for more time to get clarification and details, but as at the time of filing this report, which was one week after he made the appeal, there was no further communication from him even when a reminder was sent to him via Whatsapp page.
Also, the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Board, Prof. Yahuza Sulaiman, claimed not to have seen the Whatsapp message sent to him on the matter, said he would check. But one week after, he did not acknowledge the receipt of the message before this report was filed.
However, the statement by the embattled staff read, “We wish to bring to the public’s and administration’s attention the prolonged injustice and neglect we have suffered as employees of the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS), due to the non-payment of our salaries for the past five years.
“On the 20th of November, 2019, we were officially employed by NBAIS under the leadership of the former Registrar, Professor Shafiu Abdullah. Following our employment, we diligently completed all necessary documentation processes, including IPPIS biometric capturing conducted in two batches in December 2021 and January 2022.
“Some of us were posted to duty stations, and a few have been receiving salaries and even pensions, while the rest of us have been completely abandoned.
“It is disheartening to note that while a small fraction of those employed alongside us began receiving salaries as early as May 2022 over two years ago, the majority of us have remained unpaid and ignored. This situation has persisted for five years, despite our full compliance with all employment requirements and our unwavering readiness to serve.
“We have held meetings on two occasions with the current management of the Board, during which we were given verbal assurances of payment.
“Unfortunately, it has become clear to us that the Board merely offered empty promises, with no concrete action taken to resolve our situation. The continued non-payment has caused severe financial and emotional hardship, as many of us have families to support and critical obligations to meet.
“We now call on the relevant authorities, oversight bodies, and stakeholders to urgently intervene in this matter. Justice delayed is justice denied. We demand immediate action to ensure that our outstanding salaries are paid without further delay, and that those responsible for this prolonged injustice are held accountable.
“We remain committed to serving our nation through NBAIS, but we respectfully insist that our rights and welfare as employees must be protected and respected.”