SSANU FUTA Protest Demands Overdue NHF Refunds for Retirees

TL;DR: SSANU FUTA members protested in Akure, demanding immediate refunds of National Housing Fund contributions owed to retirees who left service as early as 2020.

Context Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) at the Federal University of Technology, Akure gathered outside the Federal Mortgage Bank on Thursday. Led by branch chairman Comrade Felix Adumbi, they displayed signs declaring that NHF contributions are a right, not a privilege, and accusing the bank of a “scam.” The protest follows months of complaints that retirees cannot access the 2.5 % salary deductions made to the National Housing Fund (NHF).

Key Facts - SSANU FUTA members contribute 2.5 % of their salaries to the NHF, yet many retirees have not received their contributions. - The NHF Act mandates that retirees who owe nothing to the fund must be refunded within three months of retirement. - Some retirees who left public service in 2020 remain unpaid, with a few having died while awaiting refunds. - The union blames the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) for failing to remit deductions between 2020 and 2024. The Federal Mortgage Bank (FMB) claims it never received those funds and advises the union to engage IPPIS directly. - FMB’s Ondo State Branch Manager Surajudeen Mohamed Jimoh denied any misconduct, stating that all received funds are intact and that housing allocations are made only to applicants who have applied. - SSANU warned that the Akure protest is the first step in a broader agitation and may expand nationwide if the issue is not resolved promptly.

What It Means The standoff highlights systemic gaps in Nigeria’s payroll and housing fund administration. If IPPIS indeed failed to forward deductions, retirees could lose years of savings, undermining confidence in public-sector benefit schemes. Conversely, the bank’s assertion that funds are intact suggests a possible breakdown in inter‑agency communication rather than outright theft. The union’s threat of a nationwide protest adds pressure on the federal government to audit the IPPIS process and enforce the three‑month refund rule stipulated by the NHF Act. Stakeholders will watch for an official response from the Accountant‑General’s office and any legal action to compel the release of the overdue contributions.