The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday declared that it would continue to resist the deployment of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to the nation’s university system despite the withholding of the third party deductions to the academic body and cooperative societies as well as stoppage of members’ salaries.
ASUU called on Nigerians to also take cognisance of the fact that the withholding of the union’s and cooperatives’ deductions took effect in January while the FG’s threat to stop their salaries was effected in February 2020.
Addressing reporters at the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, Ogun State, the Coordinator of the Lagos Zone of ASUU comprising public universities in Lagos and Ogun States respectively, Olusiji Sowande, said the desperate efforts of government to forcefully drag members into IPPIS is a violation of the law establishing the universities and autonomy.
“The public should please be informed that third party deductions to cooperative societies and our union was withheld in January and Government threat to stop the salaries of our members has been effected from February 2020.
“These actions will not deter us from our patriotic resistance to the deployment of IPPIS in universities,” he said.
Olusiji lamented that the FG’s continued breach of trust in keeping with the time lines for implementation of outstanding issues in Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) and Memorandum of Actions (MoAs) as well as the IPPIS matter, have compelled the union to embark upon two weeks warning strike.
The Lagos Zone Coordinator, who spoke in the presence of the various ASUU Chairmen from the zone, noted that the government had reneged on its promise to fully implement the aspect of funding for the revitalization of public universities in Nigeria, non – constitution of Visitation Panels for Federal Universities, non – payment of outstanding Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) among others.
He said that the recent bitter experience of people that were coerced to enroll into IPPIS platform following alleged flaws and fraud observed in the system with people being shortchanged in salaries payment further supports ASUU resistance to IPPIS.
He added that the FG unwillingness to launch an investigation into the alleged massive fraud been perpetrated in IPPIS office despite calls for it by ASUU, puts to test, government’s sincerity in its avowal that IPPIS was meant to fight corruption.
According to him, the recourse by the government to take a loan of $140m to procure software and train staff in respect of the IPPIS, represents a massive fraud since ASUU had provided an alternative – University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) to it.
