FG Begins Payment Of 3 year Salary Arrears To College Teachers
THECONSCIENCE NG reports that after six years of waiting, teachers and education officers in Federal Unity Colleges have begun receiving payment of their long-awaited salary arrears. The affected staff, numbering over 1,700, were recruited between 2019 and 2021 and have been owed salaries for up to three years.
The development comes after years of persistent appeals and protests by the affected teachers. In 2023, The Guardian reported that the teachers had stormed the Federal Ministry of Education to demand payment of their arrears, following several unacknowledged petitions to government authorities.
It has now been confirmed that the Federal Government has commenced disbursement of the outstanding salaries, with some teachers already receiving alerts. A reliable source disclosed that the payment began on Tuesday in batches, saying, “They have commenced clearing our long-overdue salary arrears. They began yesterday (Tuesday) in batches.”
Confirming the development, Bobby Mark Winful, speaking on behalf of the Coordination Team for Salary Arrears Officers (2018–2020 Sets), commended the Federal Government for finally resolving the long-standing issue that had caused hardship for many teachers and their families.
Winful expressed gratitude to the Federal Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and the Budget Office for their collective roles in facilitating the long-awaited payments. He described the development as both a financial relief and a symbol of perseverance and unity among the affected officers.
“Indeed, it has been by God’s mercy that we have come this far, and today, we witness the long-awaited commencement of payment of salary arrears for the 2018, 2019, and 2020 sets,” Winful said.
“This moment is not just a financial relief; it is a testimony of collective perseverance, unity, and faith. To our task forcemembers and representatives across the Federal Unity Colleges, your tireless efforts and coordination have turned patience into progress and struggle into celebration.”
He further urged members to sustain the spirit of unity and commitment that made the breakthrough possible, expressing optimism that the milestone would pave the way for greater achievements within the education sector.
