No fewer than 127 staff members of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Abia State, have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in their dismissal, claiming they were employed through a Federal Government-approved recruitment process before being asked to stop work.

The affected workers made the appeal during a press conference held in Umuahia on Monday.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Eze Ejike, alongside Nwaike Gospel and Roseline Okpechi, alleged that the university management compelled them to sign disengagement letters after they had worked for about five months without receiving salaries.

According to Ejike, they were among the 553 candidates recruited following a Federal Government-approved employment exercise conducted in October 2025. He explained that they successfully completed interviews, documentation, medical examinations, biometric capture by officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, and all other recruitment requirements before receiving appointment letters in February 2026.

He said the workers resumed their duties after the current Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ursula Akanwa, assumed office during the documentation process.

According to him, the Vice-Chancellor assured them that they had nothing to worry about because they had already been captured under the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System by officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

Ejike said the employees were deployed to various departments and began work, with some resigning from their previous jobs because they believed their appointments were legitimate.

He stated, “We worked for about five months without receiving any salary. The waiver for the recruitment was obtained by the former Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Maduebibisi Iwe, and we underwent biometric capture under the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System.”

He further alleged that after months without pay, the Vice-Chancellor informed them that the employment waiver granted to the university covered only 426 positions, leaving 127 workers outside the approved quota.

According to him, while 426 employees eventually received their salaries, the remaining 127 were instructed to stop reporting for duty.

Ejike said the affected workers were later invited to a meeting where they were asked to surrender their identity cards and sign disengagement letters.

He claimed, “On Monday, July 13, the Vice-Chancellor informed us that the waiver approved for the university covered only 426 positions. She said those not included would not receive salaries and should stop coming to work.”

He added that salary alerts were received by about 426 employees later that same day.

Ejike also alleged that some of the workers signed the disengagement letters under pressure after security personnel prevented them from leaving the venue.

“When our names were called, the first thing they requested was our identity cards. They collected the cards and asked those affected to sign disengagement letters. Some of us left after realising what was happening,” he said.

He further claimed that the remaining 127 workers were later gathered in a hall and asked to complete a form containing only their names, phone numbers, staff identification numbers and account details, without any explanation from the university management.

The affected workers appealed to President Tinubu, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the National Assembly, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, relevant human rights organisations and other stakeholders to investigate the matter and facilitate their reinstatement.

“We legally secured these jobs and completed every stage of the recruitment process. We are appealing to the relevant authorities to intervene and ensure justice is done,” Ejike said.

He maintained that the appointments were lawfully obtained and urged the government and relevant institutions to help restore their employment.

Efforts to obtain a response from the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ursula Akanwa, were unsuccessful, as she said she was attending a meeting when contacted.