The national chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, said the payment of January salary to ASUU members who have not enrolled on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel System (IPPIS) does not in any way change their position on the new pay system which violates the university autonomy.
He said the media are creating hypes on IPPIS leaving the main substance of ASUU’s demands with the federal government, which borders on the 2019 memorandum of understanding with the federal government.
On why some staff of federal universities disregarded ASUU and went ahead to register on the platform, he said the university community has two members, the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) and ASUU.
According to him, Non Academic staff can enroll on IPPIS based on how they see it, but ASUU members who registered on IPPIS are on their own. When appropriate time comes, ASUU will know what to do to them.
The federal government had earlier directed that lecturers who had not enrolled on IPPIS should not be paid their salaries beginning from January 2020, but recanted its position and paid them the January salary.
But ASUU had also threatened to implement “No salary, no work” decision it had reached at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Minna, Niger state capital.
The Director of IPPIS in the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Olusegun Olufehinti, had requested the minister of finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, to stop the release of funds for January salaries of federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
However, in order to prevent and avert imminent strike, the federal government at the weekend paid the lecturers their January salary.
In a telephone conversation to confirm the stand of ASUU in view of the payment of January salary by the federal government, ASUU chairman said that the union was looking forward to reopening talks with the federal government on the 2009 agreement on funding of the tertiary institutions.
“We are still discussing with government and we will hold a meeting very soon. It is after that meeting that we can comment on issues about it. “The 2009 agreement is one of our demands, like we said, we are not just talking about IPPIS, we are talking about all issues that are outstanding in our 2009 Memorandum of Action. There are five issues which we are renegotiating before the IPPIS came in, and the media are creating hypes about it leaving the main issues.
“The five main issues include, “renegotiation; visitation to universities; funds for recapitalization; payment of arrears of Earned Allowances for lecturers as well as funding of state universities are all part of the outstanding demands that will be tabled for discussion at the meeting.” Ogunyemi said.
Ogunyemi said the union has always seen the IPPIS as a distraction because there are more serious issues pending to be addressed by the federal government.
He said that ASUU was insisting on an opportunity to discuss its alternative payment platform, adding that it is left for government to do the needful and call for dialogue.
“If federal government is ready to discuss, we are also ready but we are not to decide for them. Our position remains the same if they choose to stop the salaries of our members tomorrow, we will also respond appropriately.”
