Education
JUST-IN: NUT, NULGE Aids Cross River Govt’s Plan To Flush Ghost Workers From Payroll
The Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, have thrown their weight behind the Cross River State Government’s ongoing payroll verification exercise aimed at eliminating more than 2,000 suspected ghost workers from the local government wage system.
The exercise, currently being conducted across the state, is designed to sanitize the payroll structure, address irregularities and ensure that only genuine workers receive salaries.
Speaking at the weekend, Cross River NUT Chairman, Comrade Greg Olayi, said the union had consistently engaged relevant government agencies and encouraged affected teachers to submit payslips, Bank Verification Number, BVN, details and other required documents for verification.
While endorsing the exercise, Olayi noted that some teachers who complied with the verification requirements were still facing challenges accessing their salaries. He urged government to address the situation and ensure that legitimate workers were not unfairly affected.
The NUT chairman also expressed concern over delays and inconsistencies in the implementation of teachers’ promotions, calling on authorities to review outstanding cases and clear all verified promotion records.
Olayi recently led a protest by teachers over the alleged non-payment of salaries dating back to November last year, insisting that the union’s actions were driven by concern for members whose salaries had been delayed or suspended during the verification process.
Similarly, NULGE President in the state, Comrade Leko Otabe, described the payroll sanitization exercise as necessary, saying it would help eliminate unauthorized entries and other irregularities that have complicated salary administration in local governments.
Otabe, however, called for stronger collaboration between government and labour unions to improve communication and facilitate quicker resolution of payroll-related disputes.
Providing further clarification, the Auditor-General for Local Governments, Elder Bassey Abam Eko, said the temporary suspension of some promotion implementations was necessary to enable a comprehensive review of records and prevent irregularities.
He explained that detailed documentation had been requested to determine the financial implications of promotions and ensure that all adjustments were backed by verifiable records.
At an interactive session with labour leaders and journalists in Calabar, the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Chief Victor-Felix Idem, disclosed that investigations uncovered widespread payroll abuses, including invalid BVNs, duplicated records and instances where a single BVN was allegedly linked to multiple salary payments.
According to the commissioner, preliminary findings indicate the existence of over 2,000 ghost workers on the state payroll, with many of the questionable records traced to the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB.
He dismissed allegations that teachers were being paid half salaries, insisting that the verification exercise was intended to protect public funds and guarantee prompt payment to legitimate workers.
“We have discovered over 2,000 invalid and questionable records in the payroll system. In some cases, one BVN was being used to collect salaries meant for several individuals.
“We cannot allow such practices to continue if we truly want to protect public funds and ensure genuine workers are paid,” Idem said.
The South-West Zone D leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has announced plans to stage a protest on Monday over the suspension of some students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, in Oyo State.
The affected students were reportedly sanctioned following their alleged participation in a protest against the relocation of the Anatomy and Physiology departments from the College of Health Sciences to the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences.
The planned action was disclosed in a statement jointly signed by the association’s Public Relations Officer, Olugbemi Timothy; General Secretary, Ojetola Babatunde; and Coordinator, Adeyemo Josiah, in Ibadan.
NANS described the disciplinary measures as unfair, arguing that students who expressed concerns over a policy with direct implications for their academic welfare should not be punished for voicing their grievances.
According to the student body, the suspensions send the wrong signal and could discourage students from legitimately engaging authorities on issues affecting their education and well-being.
The association maintained that rather than addressing the concerns that triggered the protest, the university appeared to have adopted an approach that could be viewed as punitive.
As a result, NANS South-West said it would mobilise students for a peaceful demonstration at the institution on Monday, June 8, 2026, to demand a review of the suspensions.
“We received with deep concern the suspension letters issued to several students of LAUTECH over their alleged involvement in a peaceful protest concerning the relocation of the Anatomy and Physiology Departments from the College of Health Sciences to the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences,” the statement read.
While stressing that it does not support any breakdown of law and order, the association insisted that students have a right to raise concerns about policies that significantly affect their academic activities and welfare.
NANS noted that available information indicated that the protest was prompted by the sudden implementation of the relocation directive, which students believed would have implications for transportation, finances, academic schedules and their overall learning environment.
The association further revealed that representatives of NANS South-West had earlier intervened during the dispute, engaging both students and university authorities in an effort to encourage dialogue and reduce tensions.
“It is disappointing that instead of resolving the issues raised by the students, the institution has chosen a course of action that appears punitive and capable of discouraging genuine expression of grievances,” the statement added.
The student body also expressed concern that the latest development comes amid the continued suspension of the Students’ Union Government at LAUTECH, describing the situation as worrisome.
NANS said it would continue to advocate for dialogue and fair treatment of students while pushing for what it described as a more inclusive approach to resolving disputes within the institution.
The Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, has said it is intensifying investments in
agriculture and technology-driven food production as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s growing food insecurity challenge.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, disclosed this on Friday during an
inspection of ongoing projects on the campus, noting thaFor more, Complete your reading
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