The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Sunday directed its members to boycott the purported Circular from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to enroll academic staff on the Integrated Payment and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) starting from tomorrow (Monday).
The union said the same Accountant General of the Federation had challenged the Union to develop a template that accommodates the peculiarities of academic staff and present same to it.
ASUU chairman, University of Ibadan Chapter, Professor Deji Omole, stated that the union’s leadership was still in discussion with the federal government and helping the government to develop a more robust template.
The Office of Accountant General of the Federation through a newspaper advert had said it will dispatch her staff to universities from 25th November 2019 for enrollment of staff into the IPPIS.
According to Omole, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as an academic understands this peculiarities and had benefitted immensely from the peculiarities.
The ASUU boss said no ASUU member should appear before the Accountant General team until further directive from the union leadership.
According to him, while ASUU supports fight against corruption, it will resist attempt by government to trample on existing University Autonomy Act.
ASUU urged members to remain steadfast and stand firm to protect public universities by not filling any form or submit their bio-data for enrollment into the IPPIS.
The Union said it is not opposed to IPPIS but the current template will undermine the uniqueness of university academic and its autonomy.
“This is to remind you that the Union’s position on IPPIS has not changed.
“Pending the resolution of the matter, evidence of which shall be communicated to all members of our union, no member of the union is to enlist on the platform.
“NEC position on the matter has not been reviewed; therefore, no ASUU member is to fill the form or submit their bio-data before any team.
“We are not slaves that can be subjected to routine humiliation from the office of the accountant general.
“No nation has ever developed or survived through the humiliation of her intellectuals.United we bargain, divided we beg,” the statement read.