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- Why We Embarked on Peaceful Protest: Staff
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Civilian staff of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) in Kaduna State protested non-enrolment into the Federal Government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), non-payment of allowances, and salary arrears.
However, DICON Director General Major General Aniedi Edet described the protest as “mischievous and baseless,” adding that the protesting staff risked imprisonment under the Corporation’s Act due to their participation in the protest.
The protesting staff displayed banners with messages such as “Enrollment into IPPIS,” “Payment of our 6 months,” and “Payment of 2019 minimum wage arrears.”
Edet explained that the financial entitlements were being processed through official channels and required patience. He emphasized that salaries were paid promptly and reminded the staff of the consequences of violating the Corporation’s Act, which prohibits protests and trade unionism.
He clarified that DICON was not the only agency on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) platform and that migrating to IPPIS would require time and potentially disrupt salary payments. He also mentioned that other agencies on GIFMIS were receiving salaries without protest.
Regarding the staff’s claims about unpaid allowances and minimum wage arrears, Edet stated that these were not funds directly controlled by DICON and that the Corporation was actively pursuing their payment with the relevant authorities. He emphasized that other organizations were also awaiting these payments and that protesting would not expedite the process.
Edet further clarified that the promotion arrears for 2022 and 2023 had not yet been paid to any government agency, including DICON. He urged the staff to be patient and wait for the official release of these funds.
He expressed concern that the protest could jeopardize DICON’s production and attract unwanted attention, potentially discouraging investors. He emphasized that the protesting staff were a minority and that the majority of DICON employees were diligently working in the factory.
Edet concluded by reiterating that the protest was illegal and unfounded. He stated that DICON was a professional and law-abiding organization with nothing to hide and that there were appropriate channels for expressing grievances.
