The 25% Arrears Mystery: Staff Demand Answers as Institutions Freeze Payments Nationwide

As Federal Tertiary Institution Staff Await 25% Salary Arrears — Musa Shehu Raises Alarm

The National Chairman of the Coalition of Healthcare Professionals in Tertiary Education Institutions, Musa Shehu, has raised serious concerns over the unexplained delay in the payment of the approved 25%/35% salary increment arrears for staff across federal tertiary institutions in .

In a strongly worded statement, Shehu highlighted what he described as a “disturbing and suspicious pattern” in the handling of the arrears, which were officially captured in the 2026 national budget.

Early Payments Halted Abruptly

According to Shehu, 11 federal tertiary institutions successfully paid the arrears in January using their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). However, from the beginning of February, no federal university, polytechnic, or college of education had made similar payments.

He questioned why a government-backed salary benefit suddenly experienced a nationwide standstill, especially without official explanation from management or union leaders.

What appeared most troubling, Shehu noted, wss the silence of academic and non-academic unions—groups typically vocal in protecting the welfare of staff.

He suggested that the lack of agitation from unions may indicate internal compromises or undisclosed negotiations that leave workers uninformed about their entitlements.

Shehu also expressed concerns over the sudden readiness of funds to begin implementing a 40% salary increment for lecturers under the .

He stressed that the 25%/35% arrears predate the new 40% increment, yet 99% of federal tertiary institutions have still not received the earlier payments.

This sequence of events, Shehu said, raised fears that the arrears may be mishandled or diverted, similar to unresolved issues surrounding the federal government’s wage award.

Call for Staff to Demand Accountability

The Coalition Chairman urged staff of federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to demand transparency from their local, branch, and national union leaders.

“Do not allow these funds to disappear. The time to ask questions is now,” Shehu warned.

He emphasized that since the arrears have been properly budgeted for in 2026, there was no legitimate reason for withholding information or delaying payment.

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