*Before TISSF Rollout, Settle Outstanding Arrears, NOTSUP Demands *Union Slams Exclusion of Monotechnics, Alleges Discrimination The Non-Tea...
*Before TISSF Rollout, Settle Outstanding Arrears, NOTSUP Demands
*Union Slams Exclusion of Monotechnics, Alleges Discrimination
The Non-Teaching Staff Union of Polytechnics (NOTSUP) has called on the Federal Government to settle all outstanding entitlements owed to its members before rolling out the proposed Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF). In a statement signed by its National President, Comrade Shaba Nakorji, the union welcomed the idea behind the N10 million interest-free loan initiative but insisted that no new financial intervention should proceed while previous agreements remain unfulfilled.
The union expressed serious concern over the Federal Government’s failure to resolve a backlog of arrears, describing them as legitimate earnings of workers who have continued to serve the polytechnic system with resilience despite the country’s economic hardship. It cited long-standing debts such as the CONTEDISS 15 Migration arrears dating back to 2013, unpaid promotion arrears for the years 2023 through 2025, outstanding salary arrears linked to the recent 25% and 35% pay rise, consequential minimum wage adjustments, and unpaid wage awards. According to the statement, the continued delay in settling these obligations undermines the dignity of labour and sends a dangerous message to workers across the education sector.
NOTSUP also condemned the exclusion of Monotechnics and Colleges of Technologies from the TISSF scheme. It described the move as unjust, inequitable, and a direct contradiction of the principles of fairness and inclusivity. The union argued that these institutions are integral components of the country’s tertiary education framework, playing a vital role in national development through technical training and capacity building. Their staff, the union said, deserve equal consideration and inclusion in any government-led support programme. Excluding them from the TISSF, the statement warned, amounts to institutional discrimination that cannot be tolerated.
In its demands, the union stressed that both federal and state governments must demonstrate seriousness by clearing all outstanding emoluments owed to tertiary institution workers before initiating any new funding scheme. It warned that the selective implementation of financial support measures would erode trust, lower morale, and threaten industrial harmony within the education sector.
NOTSUP called on relevant government agencies, including the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and the Budget Office, to urgently address these issues. It cautioned that failure to do so could provoke unnecessary agitation and compromise the credibility of future support initiatives targeted at tertiary education workers.
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