Physically challenged employees at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, have voiced their distress over the administration’s failure to compensate them for the past five years. These affected staff members, preferring to remain anonymous due to concerns of reprisal, expressed the exacerbation of their physical disabilities due to the lack of salary payments and other owed benefits, compounded by the current national challenges.
They are puzzled as to the reasons behind this situation, particularly since they posses the necessary documentation. The physically challenged staff members of UNIZIK urgently appeal to compassionate individuals to intervene, as their circumstances have escalated to a crisis point. An anonymous visually impaired staff member lamented the exacerbation of their plight in the face of the country’s economic realities, emphasizing the critical need for salary payments, stipends, or palliative measures to enable them to cope.
Ten disabled staff members have accused the Vice-Chancelor of UNIZIK, Prof. Charles Esimone, of displaying insensitivity towards their plight. They pointed out that since the introduction of the Federal Government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) between December 2020 and May 2023, none of the physically challenged employees have been included, despite some making trips to Abuja with the required documentation. These hungry and frustrated staff members highlighted the immense difficulty they face in meeting their families’ needs. Efforts to obtain the perspective of the UNIZIK VC were unsuccessful, as he could not be reached by phone.