ASUU Raises Concerns as FG Continues Salary Payments through IPPIS

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed dissatisfaction with the Federal Government’s failure to fulfill its promise of removing tertiary institutions from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). According to ASUU’s National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, in a recent interview, the February salary payments were still processed through IPPIS.

Despite the Federal Government’s announcement in December 2023, stating the exemption of universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education from the IPPIS platform, ASUU claims that no significant progress has been made in implementing this decision.

IPPIS, initiated in 2006 to streamline payroll processes across government agencies, faced strong opposition from university workers, leading to a prolonged strike in 2020 and 2021. Workers cited various irregularities associated with the system.

Prof. Osodeke emphasized that none of ASUU’s demands, including the removal from IPPIS, had been met. In September 2023, the government had announced a 35% salary increase for tertiary institution workers, retroactive to January 2023, and pledged to address outstanding salary issues from the 2022 national strike.

However, ASUU remains dissatisfied, stating that the government has not fulfilled its commitments, including the payment of Earned Academic Allowance and the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement.

Despite the government’s promises, Prof. Osodeke asserted that there has been no official communication, leaving everything at a standstill. He added that ASUU members would collectively decide on further actions, hinting at the possibility of another strike to press for their demands.

ASUU’s National President concluded by urging the government to implement the agreements made with the union, emphasizing the need for timely and satisfactory resolutions to avoid disruptions in the education sector. ASUU intends to communicate its decision through an upcoming press release.