By FUNMILAYO ADEYEMI

The Federal Government has pledged to pay the 36-month salary arrears owed some teachers of Unity Colleges.

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, made the pledge on the sidelines of a three-day EdTech Conference organised by Mastercard Foundation in Abuja on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls no fewer than 1,800 teachers of unity colleges are being owed salary arrears and other allowances for three years.

Mamman said the files of the affected teachers were already with the Ministry of Finance, while assuring that the teachers would be paid soon.

“The issue of the teachers’ salary is already with the Budget Office and the Ministry of Finance. So hopefully, they will be paid.

“I can’t tell exactly when their money will be paid. We don’t pay in the Ministry of Education. But we have done the paper work. It is already in Finance. Hopefully, very soon, they will get their money,” he said.

NAN recalls the category of teachers were recruited by the Federal Ministry of Education in 2018, 2019, and 2020 as education officers and posted to schools across the country.

They were, however, not paid due to logistic challenges encountered at the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS)’ desk of the ministry.

Other reason given for the non-payment was the failure of the ministry to transmit the files of the affected teachers to the Budget Office for vetting and onward transfer to the Accountant General’s office for approval. (NAN)