ASUU mobilises members for showdown with FG over IPPIS

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is poised for another showdown with the federal government over planned imposition of Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPIS) on its members.

The leaders of the union had summoned an emergency National Executive Council meeting where it was agreed that the leadership of the union at university levels should begin mobilisation of members for an action against the federal government.

President Muhammadu Buhari had reportedly directed that any worker not on the IPPIS would no longer receive salary.

The Chairman, ASUU University of Ibadan Chapter, Professor Deji Omole, on Sunday in Ibadan said the union is not against accountability but will resist attempt by the government to violate existing laws and autonomy of the university.

According to Omole, ASUU has offered to help the federal government design the appropriate template that will factor in the peculiarities of university lecturers in the IPPIS but the government seems bent on using the World-Bank designed exploitative template.

The ASUU boss said the template designed by government plans to enslave intellectuals as it does not make provisions for payment of arrears of promotion, study leave allowance, and responsibility allowance, among others.

According to him, the federal government’s template was designed to phase-out university lecturers who are above 60 years which is against the new policy where professors retire at 70 years.

Omole lashed out at the Buhari-led government for consistently demonstrating his hatred for public-funded universities by the introducing many illegal policies that negatively affect smooth running of the universities.

The ASUU boss noted that FG has also failed to honour any policy that will improve the quality of education in Nigeria.

“Forceful imposition of IPPIS on university workers is a violation of the University Autonomy Act. It is therefore illegal.

“While ASUU is not against accountability on the part of the university administrators, government should not be allowed to destroy public universities in its purported claims of fighting corruption.

“Our members should remained focus and committed in our struggles to protect public university education by resisting forceful imposition of IPPIS on university workers.”