The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says it ‘vehemently opposed’ to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) for university staff members because it is aimed at thwarting the educational advancement of the country.

“ASUU is determined to oppose any policy that is aimed at thwarting the educational advancement of the country. It is in this regard that ASUU is vehemently opposed to IPPIS,” zonal coordinator of ASSU, Sokoto zone, Jamilu Shehu said at a press conference in Katsina state on Wednesday.

“And if government insists on stopping the salaries of the university staff for not joining IPPIS, the union’s policy of No Work No Pay will definitely be implemented,” he added.

Shehu said the government’s insistence on IPPIS for university staff members was capable of igniting industrial disharmony, adding that IPPIS violates university autonomy, was in contrast with federal government’s agreements with ASUU, does not capture peculiarities of universities, and was not a viable option for fighting corruption.

He said IPPIS cannot address the specific process of promotion of academics, does not recognise the 70 years retirement age of academics on the professorial cadre, and 65 years for those on the non-professorial cadre, as against the 60 years in the civil service.

He said the scheme was cable of upsetting the fragile balance with regards to the utilisation of academics across Nigerian universities, does not capture remuneration of staff on sabbatical, external examiners, external assessors, andnearned academic allowances.

He added that the office of the Accountant General of the federation had no constitutional power to direct the affairs of the universities in respect to payment of staff remunerations, as same was responsibility of respective governing councils of universities.

Shehu, flanked by several members of the union from the zone, said ASUU was worried about foreseeable consequences of IPPIS, and that forcing tertiary institutions to adop same was recipe for disaster.

The union, in addition, expressed frustration over the federal government’s reluctance to pursue the 2009 agreement between ASUU and the federal government.
The union, therefore, called on stakeholders to help in pressuring the federal government to rescind on the decision that are capable of igniting industrial disharmony in the country.

“The union therefore wishes to appeal to all well-meaning Nigerians, parents and guardians to join us in pressurising the government to rescind decisions that are capable of igniting industrial disharmony.’

“However, if the government insists on the implementation of IPPIS and refuses to renegotiate the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, ASUU may not guarantee industrial harmony.”