By Ojo Jeremiah Oladipupo (Siwes student, Efon Poly)
Over 600 teachers, including those from the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Ministry of Defence, who were granted an extended service period under the government’s teacher service elongation initiative, are facing a severe setback as they remain unpaid for 23 months, according to investigations conducted by our correspondent.
Introduced during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the service elongation aimed to raise the retirement age for teachers from 60 to 65 and extend their service period from 35 to 40 years.
Despite the Federal Executive Council’s approval of the corresponding bill on January 20, 2021, and its subsequent signing into law by President Buhari in April 2022, numerous affected teachers have yet to receive their salaries and arrears.
One affected teacher, speaking anonymously, disclosed, Over 400 Education Officers like myself were beneficiaries of the policy, but we haven’t been paid since November 2022, with arrears accumulating to over 23 months. Although our salaries were reinstated in December 2022, the arrears were not credited to our accounts.
We sought answers from IPPIS, but none were provided. In response, we mobilized across Nigeria, submitted payslips, and demanded resolution.
Similarly, a representative from the Federal Ministry of Defence expressed frustration, stating, Our salaries were reinstated in April 2023, but our arrears remain unpaid despite continuous work post-retirement.
We are hungry and appeal to the government to settle our arrears promptly.
A letter dated October 13, 2023, addressed to the Minister of Education, Prof.
Tahir Mamman, highlights the teachers’ plea for intervention, emphasizing their compliance with directives and dedication to their duties.
The letter explains that while salaries were reinstated, the accumulated arrears were reflected on payslips but not deposited into bank accounts.
The ongoing struggle for payment has prompted the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, to facilitate a verification exercise, seeking to resolve the discrepancies between payslips and actual payments.
The teachers remain hopeful for a swift resolution to their long-standing financial predicament.
