The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed dissatisfaction with the Federal Government’s recent move to exclude federal tertiary institutions from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS). Reports indicate that the Office of the Accountant General confirmed the deactivation of IPPIS for these institutions, citing a directive to remove them from the payroll system.
ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, criticized the decision, calling it misleading. He clarified that while the system deactivation has been announced, universities are still required to submit payroll data to IPPIS for salary verification. “This is an attempt to complicate matters, as it still requires over 300 institutions to forward their salary data for verification,” Osodeke stated, adding that ASUU seeks complete autonomy in managing university payrolls.
ASUU has long opposed IPPIS, arguing it restricts benefits like promotion arrears and study leave allowances, and conflicts with university autonomy laws. In response to these issues, ASUU developed the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as an alternative to IPPIS, although it has not been adopted by the government.
Meanwhile, the Congress of University Academia (CONUA) has called on the government to release salaries withheld during a recent ASUU strike. Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, CONUA’s National President, emphasized that CONUA members did not participate in the strike and asserted that withholding their pay contravenes a court ruling recognizing CONUA as an independent union.
ASUU’s stance on IPPIS and the ongoing push for withheld salary payments underscore ongoing tensions between the government and university unions. Both ASUU and CONUA anticipate further discussions with the government in upcoming meetings, hoping for resolutions to these pressing issues.
