THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has directed its members nationwide not to fill the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPS) sent to universities by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
The form may pitch ASUU on a collision course again with the National Universities Commission (NUC) over central payment of salaries which the union has berated.
The academic union, which just resumed from a six-month long- drawn battle over infrastructural deficits in Nigerian universities, has condemned the NUC for the latest move which it says might threaten peace again.
ASUU warned the NUC boss, Professor Julius Okojie, to face the daunting tasks of ensuring that needed facilities and infrastructures are in universities rather than being interested in fraud-related forms.
ASUU added that University lecturers were focusing on how to cover lost grounds during the strike and would not want to resort to another battle.
Already, the University of Ibadan (UI) chapter of the union has directed its members not to fill such forms which, according to it, negates the principle of university autonomy fought for and won by ASUU since 1992.
In a mail sent to members of the union by the Branch Secretary, Dr Deji Omole, ASUU said: “Dear members, our attention has been drawn to an NUC Circular directing University Staff to fill IPPIS forms. This is to remind you that the union’s position on IPPIS has not changed. Until NEC reviews its earlier decision, NO ASUU MEMBER IS TO FILL THE FORM. NEC is to discuss this issue in February and give further directive. United we bargain, divided we beg.”
Speaking with newsmen on the opposition of the union to the IPPS, Chairman, UI chapter, Dr Olusegun Ajiboye, said the latest move by NUC was to further create problems for academic staff.
Said Ajiboye: “Integrated payment system does not take into consideration the perculiarities of the work of academic staff as well as negates the principle of autonomy which ASUU won since 1992”.
He explained further that academic staff were employed by their respective university councils which manage the resources and take care of welfare of her staff and not centrally by the NUC.
The ASUU boss noted that central salary payment was strange to University systems worldwide and will expose academic members to dangers.
He alleged that IPPS had introduced fraud dimension as fictitious names had been included in the payment of pensions.
Ajiboye noted that it would force academic members who have problems with their salaries to travel to Abuja on bad roads to sort their salaries.
“IPPS negates the principle of University autonomy that ASUU fought for. We are employed by our respective governing councils and not centrally by NUC. For salaries to be paid from Abuja is strange to world university system apart from the dangers inherent in it. IPPS does not take into consideration the perculiarities of our job. Now that we are even paid by our universities, members who have problems with their salaries face difficulties before getting it resolved let alone salaries being paid from Abuja. They are talking of ghost workers when salaries have not been paid from Abuja but somebody in front of the system in Abuja will manufacture fictitious names and pay themselves. It will give room for fraud and make life difficult for our profession and members. We say no to IPPS”, he said.
