One hundred and twenty seven staff members of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene after they were disengaged, alleging their recruitment followed a Federal Government approved process before they were asked to stop work.

The workers appealed on Monday during a press conference in Umuahia. 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 salaries.

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

According to him, the waiver was obtained by the previous Vice Chancellor of the Institution, Prof Maduebibisi Iwe, while the current Vice Chancellor, Prof Ursula Akanwa, assumed office as they were undergoing documentation. He stated that she had assured them of their positions before they were deployed to different departments, with some resigning from previous jobs to take up the roles.

Ejike alleged that after five months without pay, Akanwa informed them that the University's employment waiver covered only 426 positions, leaving 127 workers outside the approved quota. He revealed that 426 workers eventually received salary payments, while the remaining 127 were directed to stop reporting for duty.

He disclosed that the affected staff were later invited to a meeting on Monday, July 13, where they were asked to submit their identity cards and sign disengagement letters, with some alleging they signed under duress after security personnel prevented them from leaving the venue.

Ejike described the process as being reduced to filling a form containing only phone numbers, names, staff identification and account numbers, with no explanation offered.

The group appealed to President Tinubu, the Accountant General of the Federation, the National Assembly, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Academic Staff Union of Universities and human rights organisations to investigate the matter and facilitate their reinstatement.

Efforts to obtain the reaction of Akanwa were unsuccessful, as she stated she was in a meeting when contacted.