ASUU dares Nigerian govt over IPPIS

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says there is no going back on its stand concerning its refusal to be included in the Federal Government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, National President of the union, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos that there is nowhere in the world where such a development obtained.

According to him, the world over, people keep advocating for internalisation so as to bring in experts from around the globe to work in a system, whether on a long or short term basis and such persons are normally subjected to the rules of the civil service.

He insisted that IPPIS is designed for civil servants and not for the universities, noting that universities were meant to be governed according to their laws, which explains what is called autonomy.

The ASUU boss added that rejecting the IPPIS did not mean there was anything to hide on the part of the universities.

According to him, it is cheap blackmail for persons to come up with allegations that the stand of the union on IPPIS is as a result of fear of the unknown.

The unionist added that there was a need for government to prioritise, noting that it was not as if the country did not have the capacity to fund education adequately but rather did not see it as a priority.

He noted that the union had proposed some alternatives sources to ensuring adequate funding of the education in the country.

Ogunyemi said that one major alternative was that of the proposed stamp duty. NAN