The president of Academic staff Union Of Universities, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi Tuesday in Abuja, described IPPIS as a huge distraction to the university community. He made this pronouncements at the ongoing negotiations with the Federal government ably midwife by the minister of Labour and Employment, Sen, Dr Chris Ngige held at the minister’s conference room.
“IPPIS is not the only issue. We did say last time that we had a memoranda of action that we are tracking. What that means to us is that government actually ignited the ongoing crisis. Not when government introduced IPPIS and tried to sale it through dialogue but when it resorted to the use of force. Government officials caused the crisis by stopping the payment of salaries of our members citing Mr president budget speech as a directive, and they insists that universities must enrol in IPPIS platform at a time we thought we were engaging ourselves.
We have responded positively, but we rescind and resist to the logic of force. It should be recalled that during our meeting with Mr president on 9 January, 2020, Mr president did promised to set up a high power enquiry to look into how much can be allowed in terms of management of resources and personnel by the universities within the limit of the constitution.
ASUU was still expecting the fulfilment of this promise when the Union was confronted with unilateral stoppage of salaries by government. It is not longer news that several lapses that we raised over the implementation of IPPIS have become manifest giving what has happened with regard to February salaries for those for those who were paid while people have come to is to complain and we have releases that are opened to the press.
IPPIS is simply capable of accommodating academic staff salaries structure at the tertiary level and government should take full responsibilities of the consequences of the ongoing action. Again, it was never mentioned anywhere in any of our memoranda that Bursars of universities will be the ones to generate budget for the National Assembly to address the mainstreaming of our allowances.
ASUU is here with reports and feedback from our members and today, we shall share our thoughts with you and where our Union stands and the outstanding issues in our Moa as well as IPPIS”. ASUU president said
It is hoped that at the end of the meeting, both parties should reach a comprise so as to put to an end the lingering industrial action.
