𝗠𝗿. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁, y𝗼𝘂𝗿 s𝘂𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 a𝗿𝗲 u𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 y𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳 c𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀—𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 w𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 a𝗿𝗲 w𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴

Dear Mr. President,

With all due respect, I write this letter not just as a university staff member but as a concerned Nigerian, a father, a breadwinner, and a citizen whose rights and dignity are under quiet siege. I write on behalf of thousands of academic and non-academic staff in federal tertiary institutions across Nigeria. 𝗔𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟱, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, 𝗻𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘆. 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮: 𝟲𝟯 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝟯𝟲 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟮𝟳 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱. This is not only economically disastrous but morally reprehensible. The purpose of this letter is 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘇𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲—𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲.

Sir, your subordinates, particularly within the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), are doing you no favours. Mr. President, these your subordinates are actively undermining your promises to the Nigerian people. Their actions are not only jeopardizing your legacy but are also alienating a critical sector of the Nigerian workforce: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺. Through unexplained and repeated delays in salary disbursement, they are turning loyal Nigerians into resentful observers of government policy. We now get paid in the middle of every month, sometimes even later, due to what has been termed “ 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗔𝗚𝗙 .” This is unacceptable for a country that claims to value education and the people who sustain it.

Worse still, university staff who lawfully rejected the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) are now being punished for simply standing for their rights. We are being blackmailed, side-lined, and denied our rightful entitlements. What does this say about fairness and equity in the country? This punitive treatment meted out to us who, in good conscience, rejected the controversial Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) is not acceptable. Our rejection of IPPIS is a principled stand—anchored in autonomy, legality, and fairness. It should not attract persecution. Let me tell those behind this cruelty that on IPPIS – no retreat no surrender.

The Holy Qur’an warns against such injustice:

Do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order that [they might aid] you to consume a portion of the wealth of others while you know [it is unlawful].” Qur’an 2:188

and in the

Holy Bible, the scripture reminds leaders:

“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees.” Isaiah 10:1

Furthermore, the unpaid 23.5%/35% salary arrears for 12 months, which were given to other MDAs in December 2024, have yet to be released to university staff. Why this selective justice? We all work for the same federal government. Or are university staff lesser Nigerians?. The reason is not unclear—it is punishment for opposing IPPIS. But is it just? Is it fair? Does it reflect the values of a democratic government?

Martin Luther King Jr. once said:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Malcolm X also warned:

“If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed.”

On the issue of the negotiated salary package which is on your table, Mr. President, we hope that it will be treated with the urgency it deserves. Months have passed and you are silent. In the holy books, such silence in the face of injustice is condemned.

The Holy Qur’an teaches:

“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin.” Qur’an 4:135

The Bible reminds us:

The labourer is worthy of his wages.” (Luke 10:7)

Nelson Mandela wisely stated:

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children—and its teachers.”

As the Yoruba would wisely say:

“Ti a bá n fi owó ọwọ́ ká ọmọ, a tún n fi ọwọ́ kejì fà á mọ́ra.” (“When we discipline a child with one hand, we must draw them closer with the other.”)

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲, 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀.

Mr. President, the political implication of this neglect cannot be overemphasized as we will not continue to suffer in silence forever. Though we may not speak often, but we carry with us the power of our votes, and come 2027, we will not forget. A popular Yoruba adage says:

“Ti omode ba subu a wo iwaju, sugbon ti agbalagba ba subu, a wo ehin wo.” (“When a child falls, he looks ahead. When an elder falls, he looks back to see what made him fall.”)

Sir, look back before it is too late. Your foot soldiers are digging a political pit beneath your legacy. If they continue this way, they will cost you the trust and support of the Nigerian academic community and our families nationwide.

Sir, our families are watching. Our children are watching. They hear the silent cries at home. Many are beginning to question the relevance of serving a country that does not serve them in return. How long shall we continue like this? What sin have university workers committed that deserves this level of cruelty?

We are not enemies of the government or anyone. We are patriots. We are also Nigerians. We are professionals giving our all, even when morale is low and our pockets are empty. We teach under severe constraints—dilapidated infrastructure, outdated tools, poor remuneration—and yet we continue to nurture the future of this country. But enough is enough.

Like every other citizen, we deserve to live with dignity. Mr. President you still have time to steer this ship away from the rocks. The university community is not your enemy; we are your partners in building a better Nigeria. We urge you, in the name of God and in the spirit of justice, to:

a. Instruct the OAGF to immediately pay our June 2025 salaries and promptly and regularly disburse our salary going forward.

b. Pay the outstanding 12 months 23.5%/35% arrears to university staff as done to other FG staff in MDAs.

c. Approve and implement the new negotiated salary structure.

d. Stop the punitive treatment of staff who rejected IPPIS.

We remain loyal Nigerians, but our patience has limits. Mr. President, please act. Let me be blunt, Mr. President: how can people, in good conscience, support who punish them come 2027, when their families have been left in this state of neglect?

Surely, our pain, our hunger, and our disappointment will not be forgotten at the ballot box. History will remember those who stood for justice—and those who stood aside. Like 𝗩𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘀 (Umbrella Tree, one of the most resilient trees in the Desert), our resolution remains resolute on this IPPIS.

Nuraddeen Danjuma, Bayero University, Kano