By Pwanagba Agabus, Jos
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has described Federal Government’s implementation of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) as diversionary measure aimed at running away from burning issues of contention, and is therefore rejected.
The Union also proposed an alternative to the IPPIS in the Universities, which is University Transparency and Accountability Solution, saying this will be in conformity with the University laws and will also accommodate the peculiarities of the University system in the country.
This was disclosed by the Zonal Coordinator, ASUU, Bauchi Zone, Prof. Lawan Abubakar, while addressing journalists at the University of Jos, Secretariat on Friday.
Abubakar who was represented by Dr Lazarus Maigoro, the chairperson of University of Jos, said “Therefore, the Universities should be allowed to operate an individually independent system, controlled by their various Councils and supervised by the National Universities Commission (NUC), in line with international standards and global best practices and not a centralised and dependent structure of the civil service.
“ASUU views the implementation of IPPIS as diversionary from the main issues in contention and is forthwith rejected. As a rider to this ASUU is proposing an alternative to IPPIS in the Universities, which is the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), which is consistent with the University Laws and accommodating to the peculiarities of the University system in Nigeria.
He however lamented that, “It has come to the knowledge of ASUU, Bauchi Zone that the Minister of Labour and Employment has been blackmailing ASUU that the warning strike is illegal while the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning has been busy misrepresenting facts on the enrolment into IPPIS. They are all not correct; the strike is legal while members of ASUU have really shunned the enrolment into IPPIS.
“It has also come to our notice that the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education has attempted to threaten members of ASUU and other Nigerians that (at periods of good governance, Government Policy could be more superior to Law.
“This is a very dangerous path to navigate. It is difficult to convince ASUU members and other Nigerians on the existence of good governance Agreements, MoU and MoA reached and signed are not
respected, honoured and implemented by Government.
Giving an update on the implementation of components of FGN/ASUU 2019 Memorandum of Action, the Zonal Coordinator said, “ASUU is grossly disappointed at the lack of commitment displayed by Federa| Government towards the implementation of the February 2019 MoA aimed at persuading the Union to suspend the 2018/2019 Industrial Action then.
“To date, apart from the payment of arrears of shortfall in salaries to Universities, payment of EAA to loyal ASUU members in University of Ilorin and the Approval in Principle of the operating licenses to NUPEMCO, all the othel issues have remained unattended to”, he decried.
Abubakar added that, “Despite this and several written reminders, ASUU had remained calm and patient throughout 2019 and beyond.
“ASUU shall neither be intimidated nor diverted by the antics of Government”, he assured.
The Zonal Coordinator called on the public to join ASUU in imparting pressure on the Government to live up to its National responsibility by honouring the agreements.
