The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and the federal government will soon be slugging it out over the issue of an acceptable salary payment platform and the constitution of new governing councils for the universities.
In 2023, the Nigerian government announced it was exempting Federal-owned tertiary institutions, including universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and monotechnics, from the use of the Integrated Personnel Payment System (IPPIS) for the payment of their staff salaries and allowances.
The Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, had announced the development while addressing State House correspondents following the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting, stating that the new directive was to take effect immediately.
However, five months after President Bola Tinubu’s administration made the pledge, it has yet to implement the new policy.
Meanwhile, as an alternative to IPPIS, ASUU had suggested using the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, UTAS, for their payment instead but the recent development means that the government has ditched the UTAS proposed by the lecturers.
To further buttress this point, a lecturer at the University of Abuja informed newsmen that absolutely nothing had changed in terms of the payment platform through which they receive salaries as they were still paid via IPPIS.
It is noteworthy to mention that the deployment of IPPIS by the government was one of the controversial issues that led to the industrial strike by ASUU, which lasted about eight months in 2022.
The University of Jos branch of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, had on Tuesday, during a peaceful protest, called for the immediate removal of its members from IPPIS as ordered by the FEC since 2023.
The academic union also reiterated its call on the Federal Government to implement the nine demands presented to it.
ASUU demanded the immediate release of the Revitalisation Fund, immediate payment of salaries of members excluded or omitted from the payroll of the IPPIS.
Why It Matters
The Federal Government’s decision to delay the implementation of exempting universities from the Integrated Personnel Payment System (IPPIS) shows a lack of follow-through on its promises, sabotaging the trust and stability within the academic sector. This inaction has served to spark tensions with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which had previously suggested the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a more suitable alternative. By not honoring its commitment, the government risks further industrial actions, as evidenced by the recent protest by the University of Jos ASUU branch.
This reluctance to implement the agreed changes perpetuates administrative inefficiencies and exacerbates the financial insecurities of university staff. Moreover, the delay highlights a broader issue of governmental responsiveness and accountability, which is crucial for maintaining harmonious relations with critical sectors like education.
The lack of progress in this matter is not only frustrating educators but also negatively impacting the broader educational environment, and affecting students and the nation’s educational standards.
Bottom Line
There is a risk of strike action by ASUU, if their demands are not met by the Federal Government and this is negatively impacting the stability and efficiency of Nigeria’s higher education system.
