IPPIS: Nigerian universities will be closed for prolonged period except ― ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), on Thursday, warned that the nation’s tertiary institutions will be closed for a prolonged period should the Federal Government fail to implement agreements reached with the union as well as resolve the Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPIS) saga within the two weeks of its warning strike.

Ibadan zonal coordinator, ASUU, Professor Ade Adejumo, premised the stance of the union on the insistence of the Federal Government to go ahead with IPPIS in spite of reservations expressed by those on the scheme.

According to Adejumo, the union’s objection to the scheme was evidenced by underpayment, overpayment, none deduction of the third party deductions, outright omissions, among many other anomalies which characterised the February salary paid to those who enrolled on the IPPIS platform.

Adejumo spoke at the conference in Ibadan alongside Professor Ayo Akinwole, University of Ibadan; Professor Moyosore Ajao, University of Ilorin; Dr Biodun Olaniran, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology; Dr Femi Abanikannda, Osun State University; and Dr Dauda Adesola, Kwara State University.

“Presently, the outcry emanating from university workers over the payment of February salary has vindicated ASUU’s position on the evil platform of IPPIS as an unworkable platform. To say the least, IPPIS is a haven for corruption rather than assisting in curbing it.

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”The attention of our union is drawn to the latest statement from the stable of the permanent secretary of education. He should be truthful to himself and the nation rather than playing politics with fake statistics.

“Of the over 70 per cent of university workers that he claims to have already been captured on IPPIS, what is the percentage of academics in his figure? In the so-called balance of 30 per cent, what is the percentage of academics?

“In what way has the government responded to the plethora of sharp practices and irregularities that have been trailing the IPPIS implementation? How many university administrations have been prosecuted or even indicted for staff padding?

“Why have ASUU’s demands for visitation panels to the universities over the years been treated with such flippancy by the government that this high priest of IPPIS serves?

“On ASUU’s composition of its negotiation team, his parable of the carpenter and the nail falls flat on its belly.”

Nigerian Tribune