If you’re asked what exactly is the problem between ASUU and the Federal government, what will be your answer? You know, it’s important to know things like this.
Recommended: Latest ASUU Strike Update Today; November 2020.
The Academic staff union of universities (ASUU), and the Nigerian government have been at loggerhead for up to seven (7) months now, and the end of the ASUU strike is very uncertain at this moment. The union asked the Nigerian government to pay all workers using their own payment developed system called “UTAS”, which stands for University Transparency and Accountability Solution, and that they are not comfortable or trust the IPPIS the government is currently using.
5 things to know about ASUU Payment System.
1. What is UTAS?
The University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) is a payment software that is developed by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in 2019. It is a prototype of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) that the Nigerian government is insisting to continue using in paying federal workers.
2. How UTAS Begin:
The major reason why UTAS was created by ASUU is this. Events leading to the development of UTAS began in February 2014 when the Union disclosed to the Nigerian Federal Government about their reservations of the IPPIS, which they tagged “Irregular”. 5 years after complaining about the IPPIS, the Union’s National President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi told newsmen in FCT Abuja this:
“We thought that the government agreed with us; they said we should nominate three people and they will also nominate three persons to discuss and look into this matter; then we should come up with a platform that will be acceptable to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) members.
“Suprisingly, we did not hear anything from them, starting from February 2014 until in July 2019 when ASUU members were asked to enroll into the IPPIS.
“The platform we had in mind is the one we have now started because they pushed us to the point of taking on the challenge and creating a better payment platform for ASUU members.
3. Legal Backing:
Fast Forward to October 2020, ASUU president, Prof. Ogunyemi further revealed that University lecturers’ preference for UTAS was backed by legal provisions. The president said and I quote below:
“The University Miscellaneous (Provisions) (Amendment) Act (2003), which government gazetted as University Autonomy Act (2007), has vested the powers of personnel and payroll system issues in the hands of each university’s governing council,” he said.
4. UTAS supports the War Against Corruption:
If the federal government, especially the Buhari-led government is eager to fight corruption and introduce transparency, the government should start using UTAS in effecting accountability and transparency and in the process of payments of lecturers’ emoluments.
5. UTAS or Nothing:
The president of the Academic staff union of university has disclosed that the union will be stopping at nothing in ensuring the implementation of UTAS which they say is better than the irregularities surrounding the IPPIS.
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