Academic Staff Union of Nigeria Universities ( ASUU), has declared that its opposition against the enrollment of members for the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System ( IPPIS), by the federal government stands.
The National President of the University lecturers, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi made the declaration after about three hours of interface with the leadership of the Senate ‘ saying ” on University Transparency and Accountability Solution ( UTAS), they stand.
This is as the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, called on both ASUU and Federal Government to shift ground for the sake of Universities Students who have been home since February this year when ASUU embarked on strike action against the implementation of IPPIS.
While fielding questions from Journalists after the interface, the ASUU President, said: “as patriotic, innovative and creative Nigerians, ASUU developed a home grown platform that should be used by the Federal government to effect transparency and accountability in the process of payments of lecturers’ emoluments “.
The alternative platform according to him, is University Transparency and Accountability Solution ( UTAS) which according to him, has been explained to the government as a mechanism far, far better than imported IPPIS.
” As promoters of local content and a firm believer in concepts and ideas directly responsive to prevailing peculiarities, on UTAS we stand and not ready to move an inch towards the direction of IPPIS which is imported and not responsive to the peculiarities involved in lecturers’ emoluments “, he stressed.
Though he added that the interface between ASUU and Senate leadership was helped in bringing up the issues towards addressing them but the concrete solution is yet to be achieved, for the very reason, the meeting is slated for another day.
Earlier in his submissions before the Senate Leadership, the ASUU boss, said they have been kicking against the implementation of IPPIS for University lecturers since 2013 to the point of almost reaching an agreement with the government in 2015.
Aside from the issue of IPPIS, he said none implementation of agreements the government signed with it since 2009, was also part of the reasons, they have been on strike for the past eight months.
“We are here in furtherance of our previous interaction and today we hope to share with you as you requested the last time we were here the product of our invention which is an alternative to the IPPIS.
” We are also here to solicit your support on the need for government to urgently address the outstanding issue concerning our demands”, he said .
Lawan in his response said the purpose of this meeting is really to explore further hour the Senate and indeed the National Assembly can intervene to resolve the issues that are still lingering.
“We really don’t need this kind of situation where our universities are shut. Our children are the main victims of this. Therefore both government and ASUU have to find a common ground for our universities to open and offer the kind of services expected of our universities.
“We cannot afford as a country to continue to have this kind of crisis. This may explain why those that can afford will normally go out of the country even to West African countries like Ghana to receive a University education.
“The idea is to find out how we can resolve the outstanding issues and it is supposed to be give and take.
” Government cannot have all its way and I believe ASUU should not expect to get everything it has asked for.
“Our situation today is something that everyone knows what it is. It is a very stressful economic situation and I believe that the government is supposed to even within this type of situation play its own part.
” Its obligations must be redeemed within the confines of what we can do.”
(Editor: Omor Bazuaye)
