IPPIS: ASUU mobilises members for strike

Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to embark on strike if the Accountant General of the Federation stops salaries of lecturers this January.

The association claimed the FG had noted that it would stop the salaries of the lecturers for failing to enrol for the Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPIS).

ASUU said that a circular from the office of the Accountant General of the Federation ( AGF) was sent to all public universities last week Thursday with information to with-hold January salary of lecturers who refused to enrol in the IPPIS platform.

But ASUU stated that its congress members had resolved to activate no pay no work as soon as the government stopped its members’ salaries.

The Chairman University of Ibadan Chapter of ASUU, Professor Deji Omole while reacting to the development on Sunday in Ibadan maintained that the union was ready to pursue her stand on autonomy and infringement on FGN-ASUU agreement which IPPIS would erode.

Omole stated it was unfortunate that even the President could not be trusted after assuring the Union to look into the matter and set-up committee to harmonise UTAS and IPPIS tabled before him at the last meeting.

While saying the union would not be threatened to allow alleged “undemocratic public servant like Accountant General of the Federation to ridicule tertiary education,” ASUU said the move would throw public varsities into another crisis.

Omole said ASUU rejected IPPIS on point of law, principle and rule of law but has offered an alternative platform which has been named University Transparency and Accountability Solutions ( UTAS ), which would take care of university peculiarities.

According to Omole, if those ruling us are sincere they should ask their sons and daughters who school in Universities in the UK how Universities run.

“Only patriots can work in our hellish condition. Our position is that the principles of IPPIS are in contradiction to the principles of the autonomy of the university system and the constitution is clear enough because each university has its legal pattern and it doesn’t have provision for IPPIS and it does not even capture the peculiarities of the university system.

“We are ready for them. We are not slaves that can be subjected to routine humiliation by government appointees “.