ASUU Breaking News This Afternoon, Nov. 3

Brainnews is back this afternoon, November 3, 2020 with the latest updates on the ASUU Strike.

Resolution Of ASUU Branches On Federal Govt’s Offer Over ASUU Strike

Below is the latest you need to read:

1. Why strike will continue, by ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has insisted that its current strike will continue, following a deadlock during talks with the Federal Government.

In a statement by its Lagos Zone Coordinator, Prof. Olusiji Sowande, the union noted that the lackadaisical attitude of government towards funding education would make the strike linger.

2. ASUU’s UTAS and FG’s slippery offer

The federal government has been presenting the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) to the public as if it is the main reason the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on strike on March 23. That is not true. ASUU is on strike to make government become responsible and inject funds for the revitalisation of public varsities, constitute visitation panels to universities, pay off arrears of earned academic allowances from 2012 to 2020, and conclude renegotiation of the 2009 agreement which is to birth a new salary and welfare package for lecturers who are currently the least paid when compared with earnings of lecturers in polytechnics and colleges of education!

On March 19, 2014, the Office of Accountant-General of the Federation (IPPIS Division) wrote the President of ASUU referring to the decision of a meeting held with representatives of the Nigerian University System (NUS) concerning enrolment of federal university staff into IPPIS. The letter, written by Fatima Nana Mede (DFA/IPPIS) on behalf of the Accountant-General of the Federation reads: “one of the joint decisions reached is the need to set up tripartite committee of the Labour Unions in the Universities (ASUU, NASU, SSANU & NAAT), the representative of the Pro chancellors and Federal Government (OAGF, FMF/BOF, OHCSF, FCSC) to develop alternative solution that will achieve the noble objectives of the IPPIS and at the same time accommodate the peculiarities of the Nigerian universities. Following from the above, you are kindly requested to nominate your representative for the committee to consider the development, implementation and workability of a solution in the university system. The committee inauguration would be communicated to you as soon as we receive nominations from all concerned”. ASUU thereafter nominated Prof Sulaiman D Abdul, Dr A.B Baffa and Prof D.T Gungula to represent it but the federal government did not say anything about committee inauguration again until the issue appeared in 2019 to forcefully enrol academic staff into IPPIS despite agreeing that it fails to accommodate the peculiarities of university system.

3. ASUU insists on UTAS payment system

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has insisted on having the Federal Government adopt it recently invented payment system for Universities with the name University Transparency and Accountability Solution UTAS as the option against the federal government Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

ASUU also argues that the Federal government payment system IPPIS, which is made compulsory to university workers, including ASUU members is against the law of the land that granted autonomy to Universities.

Besides, “the IPPIS is not temper-proof as presented, adding to the fact that it has national security risk being that the server is hosted from outside the country by an American company.”

The Coordinator, ASUU Calabar Zone, Comrade Aniekan Brown PhD covering 7 Universities within four states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Ebonyi states, told journalist in Calabar on Monday that “we consider the IPPIS which is a payment system offer by the federal government as uncongenial with the modus operandi of the university system, given the peculiarities of universities. Government has made it a front burner; but we consider it a distraction.”

“Kindly note that our Union has been rejecting the IPPIS since 2013; Government challenged us to produce an alternative to IPPIS. The Union took up the challenge, and has produced one. This is called the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, UTAS. Presentations have been made to the appreciation of some quarters.”

“The Union has been ready for the final stage presentation to NITDA. Sadly, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGoF) is of the position that our members migrate first (during the intervening period) after which if UTAS is approved, we would be re-migrated to UTAS. We argue that it is a case of economic waste.”

Brainnews

Eyo Nse is a creative writer, blogger and a software engineer.He is a simple individual who loves to see others succeed in life.Mr Wisdytech as he is popularly known - started blogging in the early 2000's.