Irked by the agony of unpaid salaries, some staff of the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) have called on the Federal Government to save their souls over unpaid salary arrears running into over 17 months.
The affected staff numbering over 700, in a statement in Kaduna, at the weekend, said they were captured on the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) for the payment of their salaries, but to no avail. They also alleged that some workers, who are elitist, were selected and paid at the detriment of the other embattled staff.
Their statement, entitled, “Complaint Against Non-payment of Salary,” was jointly signed by the Chairman, Muhammad Suleiman, Secretary, Benjamin Ishiaka and the Public Relations Officer (P.R.O), Andulsalam Ibrahim of the affected staff group.
However, when contacted, the Information Officer of NBAIS, Muhammad Y. Sambo confirmed the issue of salary arrears, saying: “The Board has no reason to withhold any staff salary, if government releases it”.
The statement by the affected staff read in part: “We were employed since January 2021 by the National Board for Arabic & Islamic studies (NBAIS). We were adequately captured into the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) on December 2021 and it is very unfortunate to this day, only a few persons, who constitute about 30 per cent of employed staff received their salary, while the remaining 70 per cent are left with their fate hanging in the air and a backlog of 17 months of outstanding unpaid salary arears.
“This has brought untold hardships and great damage to us and our families. We lost the job we were managing to sustain ourselves, thinking a better opportunity had come when we took appointment with NBAIS.
“At some points in time, we were asked by Human Resources Department to submit a copy of the appointment letter and IPPIS slip for payment against the month of August 2021 which did not materialise and since then, things have become stagnant. No salary or any other information from the Board.
“However, after careful consultation and investigation, we were able to see an approval letter from the president and the ministry of education for our recruitment, upon mounting pressure, the HR alleged that our problem is from the budget office not with the Board, like wise we received another opposite information from the budget office which is contradicting.
“It is on this note that we are appealing to the press to kindly investigate the matter to save our souls and to have our salary together with arrears. We fail to see the reason why some persons were selected and got paid. We strongly believe that this is the government of renewed hope that an ordinary man in the street shall see better days”.
