IPPIS: ASUU set to embark on nationwide strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has begun to mobilize its members to embark on a nationwide strike over FG’s Integrated Payment and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

The Union has directed its branches to shun the enrollment into the scheme, which commences nationwide today at federal universities THISDAY reports.

The Office of the Accountant General of Federation (OAGF) had directed all staff of federal universities to come with their credentials to their various institutions between November 25 (today) and December 5 for enrollment into IPPIS.

The federal government has, however, threatened to stop salaries of workers not captured on the payment platform, designed to weed out ghost workers.

While the National Steering Committee of the Congress of University Academics (CONUA), a splinter group from ASUU, had directed its members to immediately begin enrollment in compliance with the federal government’s directive, ASUU had vowed to resist the scheme.

It was gathered that after a protracted meeting of ASUU, which lasted throughout the weekend, the union resolved to mobilize its members for a strike if the federal government suspend their salaries for refusing to enroll into the scheme.

A source privy to the meeting told reporters that the national body was mobilizing its members for a strike if the federal government suspends their salaries.

Also, the Sokoto Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Mr. Jamilu Shehu, told newsmen that if the federal government insists on stopping the salaries of the university lecturers for not joining IPPIS, the union’s policy of ‘No Pay No Work,’ will definitely be implemented.”

“ASUU is determined to oppose any policy that is aimed at thwarting the educational advancement of the country. If government insists on stopping the salaries of the university staff for not joining IPPIS, the union’s policy of No Pay No Work will definitely be implemented,” he said.

He added that IPPIS violates the provisions of the Establishment Act of all federal universities and the union viewed the claim by the OAGF that ASUU’s position against IPPIS was an endorsement of corruption as cheap blackmail and a calculated attempt to sabotage university autonomy.

“Taking the next line of action depends upon the stopping of our salary by the government,” he added.

The Sokoto zonal office of the union comprises Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina; Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Katsina; Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto; Sokoto State University; and Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero.

The ASUU Chairman, Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Dr. Abubakar Sabo, also said the union had directed its members not to enroll in the IPPIS, adding that if the government compels them, they would know the next line of action to take.

The Chairman of University of Ilorin chapter, Prof. Moyosore Ajao, told journalists that the national body had directed its members not to enroll into the IPPIS as directed by the federal government.

When asked if the union would commence strike immediately, Salihu said: “Our national headquarters would deliberate on that so as to take the next line of action.”

READ: Pandemonium as girl reportedly turns to mermaid in UNILAG

Chairman of University of Ibadan chapter of the union, Prof. Deji Omole, also confirmed that the national body has directed the branch unions to boycott the government’s directive.

Omole said no ASUU member should appear before the Accountant General’s team until further directive of the union, noting that while ASUU supports the fight against corruption, it would resist attempt by the government to trample on university autonomy.

He stated that the union’s leadership was still in discussion with the federal government and helping it to develop more robust template, stating that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, as an academic understands the peculiarities of the university system and had benefited immensely from the peculiarities.

He urged members of the union to remain steadfast and stand firm to protect public universities by not filling any form or submit their bio-data for enrolment into the IPPIS.

Also speaking on the issue, the Chairman of the University of Calabar branch of ASUU, Dr. John Edor, told THISDAY at the weekend that his members would abide by the directive given by its national secretariat that they should not be “forcibly migrated into the IPPIS without smoothing the rough edges of that system of payment.”

“We have said that we have peculiar concepts, we have peculiar practices in the universities that are not congenial with the modus operandi of IPPIS so the university should be exempted from using IPPIS for its payment,” Edor said.

He said no member of ASUU would comply with the directives and that every member had been fully sensitised to ignore the proposed enrolment.

According to him, any action taken by lecturers in the University of Calabar under the umbrella of the union must be in tandem with the stance of the ASUU national leadership on IPPIS.

“We have held congresses, I have released bulletins, I have released memos, I have released text messages. We are not complying with the directives of the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation that we must be forcibly migrated to IPPIS. We are not. We are not mincing words about it, we are not compromising our position with ASUU national,” Edor explained.

READ: Nobody has complained I stole their money – Former First Lady Patience Jonathan