There be an end to the long ASUU strike, caused by payment of arrears owed by the federal government, and later, the choice of payment method. While the federal government is adamant to use IPPIS, ASUU believes that its own developed payment system, UTAS is the best in the long run. This is the major cause of the 2020 ASUU Strike.
Recommended: Latest ASUU Strike Update Today November 2020. Don’t forget, here’s one of the reasons why FG may be bending a little: NANS To Organize Nationwide Protest and takes ASUU/FG to Court.
There were strong indications on Sunday, 15th November that the Buhari-led government might adopt any payment platform developed in universities as an alternative to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The spokesman for the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles Akpan, disclosed the government’s stand in an interview with The PUNCH. However, the government is refusing to completely bend to the will of ASUU, and gave conditions for adopting any payment platform apart from the IPPIS.
According to the Spokesman, the platform must be capable of eliminating ghost workers’ syndrome and other forms of corruption in payment of salaries before it can be adopted by the government.
Charles Akpan further stated this as opposition to the IPPIS grew on Sunday when various unions in the Nigeria, including the:
- Academic Staff Union of Universities,
- Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities,
- Non-Academic Staff Union,
- Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, etc
All agreed that the IPPIS is only suitable for civil service workers.
On the 23rd of March, ASUU begun an indefinite strike over the government’s insistence on the IPPIS, among other reasons. Although the strike was taken too serious by the Massess because everyone was home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other university unions which initially supported the government payment system (IPPIS), are now backing out on the grounds that it contained many irregularities, and throwing their support to the ASUU payment method, calling it a “better payment system”.
As an alternative to the IPPIS, ASUU had presented to the federal government, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS). UTAS is currently being tested by the National Information Technology Development Agency, while SSANU and NASU have proposed the University General and Peculiar Personnel and Payroll System.
The President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, in an interview with The PUNCH, clearly disclosed that the union’s opposition to the IPPIS is 100% strong and they’ll continue to fight against the injustice done to their members, saying the system would localize the university system if adopted.
Some Facts while IPPIS is Opposed.
- IPPIS won’t allow non-pensionable appointments needed in universities.
- With the IPPIS, lecturers cannot move freely across campuses; across countries.
- With the government’s IPPIS, it’s impossible to employ people from outside the country, good lecturers, professors and other admirable people in Disapora who are not on pensionable appointments can’t be employed because the IPPIS focuses only on people with pensionable appointments.
- IPPIS would erode the autonomy of the university system which was established by an Act in 2003.
- IPPIS has many irregularities, it gives salary of a cleaner to a registrar.
- There are so many irregularities in the IPPIS that makes it very unfriendly, including arbitrary deductions, high taxation, high pension rate and delay in payments.
- PENGASSAN confirmed that their allowances won’t be paid if IPPIS is adopted.
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