IPPIS saga: ASUU threatens strike action if forced to join by Accountant General

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have threatened to embark on an industrial strike action if the Federal Government goes ahead to force them into the controversial Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

Bauchi Zone of ASUU made the threat on Monday while addressing Journalists on the brewing crisis over the IPPIS issue charging the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris to rather tackle corruption in revenue generation agencies in the country where funds are allegedly not remitted to the federal government than forcing Universities into the IPPIS on the “pretext of sealing leakages” .

Zonal Coordinator of ASUU comprising Bauchi, Gombe and Plateau states, Professor Lawan Abubakar while addressing Journalists at the Zonal Secretariat at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi claimed that “the forceful implementation of the IPPIS policy in the Nigeria universities is a violation of University establishment laws which guarantees university autonomy.

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According to him, the policy is a renegotiation of the Federal Government’s agreement with ASUU pointing out that universities have various laws that decide how lecturers should be paid while the Governing Councils of the institutions employ and sanction staff.

He queries that, ” Is it only in petty salaries that you want to seal leakages while allowing mega corruption like the P&ID, unremitted funds by revenue-generating units etc to continue to have field days?

Lawan Abubakar added that ” IPPIS started before 2017, we equally need a declaration of the savings in personnel then. Where is the N273 billion of 2017 and 2018? How has it reduced the hardships Nigerians are still going through?

The union, therefore, asked the federal government to respect and adhere to approved budgets for universities and to challenge the Governing Councils of universities to curb corrupt practices in their payroll.

” We call on ASUU members all over the country to continue to be with and support the national leadership. We should only accept information and instructions from our leaders. To the AGF, please restrict yourself to keeping money for the government. You do not have any business asking ASUU to join IPPIS”. The union posited.