The Academic Staff Union of Universities has differed with the Federal Government over the reported removal of the union from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System.
On Monday, an online report stated that the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation had confirmed the deactivation of the IPPIS for federal tertiary institutions.
The Director of Press and Public Relations at the OAGF, Bawa Mokwa, said, “It was only natural for the IPPIS platform for FTIs to be shut down, given the Federal Government’s directive to remove these institutions from the system.”
However, ASUU National President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, disagreed, saying the guidelines still insisted that universities should send their salaries to IPPIS for verification and screening.
Osodeke stated, “It is not acceptable to us as a union. If you go through the body of the statement, you’ll see where it was noted that the government would still forward names to IPPIS for verification before salaries are paid.”
ASUU developed the University Transparency and Accountability Solution as an alternative to IPPIS but it was not adopted by the Federal Government.
Other university unions, including SSANU and ASUP, were unaware of the development.
ASUU will meet with the government soon to discuss the renegotiation of their 2009 agreement.
Meanwhile, CONUA demanded the immediate release of over three months of salary withheld by the Federal Government.
CONUA’s National President, Dr Niyi Sunmonu, said withholding salaries was against the July 25, 2023 judgment of the National Industrial Court.
