From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has appealed to the Accountant General of the Federation for immediate intervention to address persistent salary payment delays since the migration to the Government Integrated Financial and Management Information System (GIFMIS) platform in 2024.
In a letter dated Wednesday, May 7, SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim warned that the delays threaten industrial harmony in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
Ibrahim highlighted that SSANU members face salary disbursements delayed by up to two weeks compared to other federal workers, violating the 2022 agreement with the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of SSANU and the Federal Government, which promised no victimisation for strike participants. “The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) writes to express our deep concern over the consistent delay in the payment of monthly salaries of university workers, particularly since our exit from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS),” the letter stated.
Copied to Education Minister Tunji Alausa and Labour Minister Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, the letter described the delays as discriminatory and demoralising, undermining university workers’ welfare. Ibrahim noted that the transition from IPPIS to GIFMIS, intended to grant institutions autonomy, has instead caused financial hardship. “SSANU cannot stand by while our members are subjected to such treatment, which undermines their morale and welfare,” he wrote, urging the Accountant General to align university staff payments with the federal schedule.
SSANU cautioned that further delays could be seen as deliberate, potentially forcing the union to take action to protect members’ rights.
The letter expressed confidence in the Accountant General’s ability to resolve the issue swiftly, emphasising the need to maintain peace in the university system. The union’s concerns echo earlier complaints about GIFMIS-related salary shortfalls and withheld third-party deductions, raised at its 50th NEC meeting in February 2025.