Newly recruited academic and non‑academic staff at the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED),
Ondo, have said they are yet to receive any salary nine months after their appointments, prompting an appeal to the Ondo State Government to intervene, staff and officials said on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
PUNCH Online gathered that the affected employees were recruited by the state government in February and March 2025 into various positions at the institution. Despite being formally assigned duties and given official appointment letters, none of the recruits has been paid since assuming their roles, staff said.
One of the unpaid recruits, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told PUNCH that the group had been working for nine months without any financial remuneration.
“We are suffering. We have not been paid our salaries since we got the appointments in March last year. Some of us were given appointment letters in February, while some got theirs in March, but none of us has been paid,” the staff member said.
The recruits said they have approached relevant authorities within the institution and the state government on multiple occasions without any resolution.
They appealed directly to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to intervene, stressing that they were formally employed, had their data captured in the recent Ondo State staff audit, and were carrying out assigned duties without pay.
Another recruit attributed the unpaid salaries to an internal dispute between two former leaderships of the university, suggesting that administrative “cold war” had hindered payroll processing.
The staff member added that despite being integrated into official systems, they continue to work without any financial compensation.
When contacted, the State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Igbekele Ajibefun, confirmed the situation, saying the issue was being addressed and had been “completely resolved” in principle.
Ajibefun assured that the affected staff would soon be paid. “We are already making efforts to address the matter, and I want to assure you that very soon it will be addressed,” the commissioner said.
The delayed payment comes amid wider reports of salary disruptions and payroll challenges affecting tertiary institutions in Nigeria, often linked to administrative transitions and payroll migration issues, although there has been no indication that such factors are directly tied to the UNIMED case.
Education sector analysts say prolonged non‑payment of salaries can undermine staff morale and service delivery, urging swift resolution to prevent talent loss and ensure institutional stability.
As the state works to resolve the matter, the recruits continue to perform their duties without regular pay, intensifying calls for urgent government action.
