Two months after the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, started an indefinite strike over its rejection of the IPPIS, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU has directed members in all Federal Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education to begin strike any day resumption of schools is announced.
While ASUU insists on no BVN before salary and accuses the Federal Government of the inclusion of names of dead staff in the IPPIS platform, NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi in a letter notifying the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige of its decision to downtools said the non-teaching staff union is protesting short-payment of its members’ salaries since February 2020.
NASU said regrettably, despite the assurances of the Minister via a telephone discussion in early April 2020, due to COVID-19 lockdown, the officials of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS have refused to effect appropriate corrections of all the anomalies observed, as it concerns Febuary, March and April salaries.
Adeyemi said the Association has filed the Trade Dispute Act CAP 432, Trade Disputes (Essential Services) Act, CAP 433 of the of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and Trade Disputes (Amendment) Decree No 47 of 1992 otherwise called Form TD/3, against the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, OAGF.
NASU accused the IPPIS office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning of deceiving it into accepting the payment platform saying its peculiarities are still not embedded into the payment system which results in short payment.
Meanwhile, a statement signed by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Office of the Accountant-General, Henshaw Ogubike said in part that It is the responsibility of the institutions or agencies to inform the IPPIS office about death, resignation or exit from service before due date.
He said the payroll analysis are sent to Bursars of tertiary institutions for review of any omission or names to be excluded.
The statement said the issues raised by the workers are cheap propaganda to denigrate IPPIS for obvious reasons.
It said mention must be made here that good spirited members of the unions personally wrote to inform the Accountant-General of their not being entitled to February salary payment and requested for account to refund the salary.
It added that the OAGF wishes to assure all the tertiary institutions staff that it is always willing and ready to serve them as best as possible, but pleads for their understanding and cooperation.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
