The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has condemned what it described as a sustained and unacceptable trend of salary delays across federal tertiary institutions, saying the pattern has become a source of distress for thousands of workers nationwide.

In a statement signed by its National President, Shammah Kpanja, the Union accused the Federal Government of subjecting Polytechnic staff to prolonged financial hardship through needless delays in salary disbursement—an experience that has persisted for the past eight months.

The union also issued a stern warning, signaling possible strike action if the government fails to act swiftly.

“Our union may be forced to direct her members to stay away from all affected polytechnics if the situation does not improve in the coming days and sustain the same until the salaries are paid, while adopting the same pattern at the end of each month going forward.

“Our union has observed a trend in the delay in payment of staff salaries across Federal Tertiary Institutions in the country in the last eight months,” the ASUP president stated. “This new trend of subjecting staff of these institutions to the mental torture of enduring indeterminate periods of uncertainty concerning the release of the severely devalued pittance now referred to as salaries coincides with the transition of the tertiary institutions from the IPPIS payment platform to the GIFMIS platform,” Kpanja said.

ASUP laid the blame squarely at the feet of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, accusing the agency of failing to ensure smooth funding of institutions since the transition between the two payment systems.

“Role players in the responsibility chain have consistently placed the blame on the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, attributing same to delay in the funding of the different institutions for the salaries over these eight months,” Kpanja said.

“We have consistently complained formally to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation before now without the desired improvement, leaving staff of different Federal Polytechnics in distress at the end of each month.”

He noted that both IPPIS and GIFMIS payment systems are under the same federal office and therefore the long delay in transition was unjustifiable. “Eight months is too long a trial period for the transition and it is only a government that places low value on education that will treat staff of tertiary education institutions in this manner,” the Union said.

Beyond the technicalities of the payroll platforms, ASUP says the situation reflects a deeper systemic problem of disregard for the academic community.

“We are led to believe that the only plausible reason for this deliberate torture is the low value placed on the academic community by the government,” the statement added. “Workers in different tertiary institutions have been turned to beggars at the end of each month, with the worthless salaries only serving to service debts incurred in the course of each month.”

Describing the delay as “undeserved treatment” in an already harsh economy, the union lamented the contrast between the suffering of academic staff and the flamboyance of Nigeria’s political elite.

“It is equally shameful that while the academic community is being punished with such penury, political leaders continue to entertain themselves in mindless opulence and power-grabbing activities for the next elections,” the union said. “This is unfortunate and symptomatic of a terminally sick nation.”

ASUP is now demanding the immediate release of June 2025 salaries and an end to the “inhumane” salary delay culture that has taken root.

“We hereby renew our calls for the release of June 2025 salaries to institutions in the country without any further delay and a departure from this new trend of delay in salary payments in the coming months,” the union said. “This call is made in the overall interest of the fragile industrial harmony in the tertiary education sector, particularly the polytechnics.” (Nigerian Tribune)