The boycott of biometric data capturing of workers for the Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPIS), as ordered by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) didn’t happen at the University of Ilorin,
On the contrary, ASUU members in the university registered for the new payment platform, which commenced at the university on Tuesday.
At the venue of the registration, the Old Senate Chambers, both members of academic and non-academic staff took part.
A member of the team from the Accountant General Office who pleaded anonymity said both academic and non-academic staff have been coming forward to enrol.
“The first academic staff we attended to is a Professor. So far, we have not had any labour issue. The exercise will last for two weeks”, he said.
It was also observed that the management team from the University of Ilorin was also on ground to identify their staff before issuing forms to them.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Sulyman AbdulKareem, at a news conference recently urged ASUU to rescind its decision to boycott the exercise.
He said since other sister unions had indicated interest to participate in the exercise, there was no reason ASUU should back out.
The University’s ASUU chairman, Prof. Moyosore Ajao, however, insisted that his colleagues did not participate in the exercise.
“Non-academic staff are those that registered. It might be the Vice-Chancellor who is a political appointee that registered with them. We don’t have CONUA at UNILORIN. They are seeking relevance; they are dissidents,” Ajao stated.
Meanwhile, as Nigerian Universities enroll in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, IPPIS, the exercise has torn the Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, staff apart.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Federal Government directed all the Federal Universities to enroll into the IPPIS before October ending, else miss their salaries.
After a long resistance by Nigerian universities, ABU authorities recently directed its members of staff to enrol into the system.
A Special Bulletin signed by the university’s Registrar, Abdullahi Ahmed-Kundila obtained by NAN advised the staff to join the IPPIS system.
NAN reports that the bulletin is captioned: “Commencement of enrollment of the Federal Universities into the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).”
The bulletin quoted the Federal Government circular as saying: “This is to inform all staff members of the university that the enrollment of Federal Universities in Nigeria into the IPPIS will commence from 25 November to December 7.
“In view of the above, all staff members of this great university are by this notice called upon to be ready and start preparation so as to present themselves for the important exercise.”
However, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ABU chapter rejected the directive given by both the Federal government and the authorities of the university.
ASUU, ABU branch chairman, Rabiu Nasiru, made the union position known after a congress meeting held at the main campus of the university, Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna State.
He described the forceful implementation of IPPIS as a violation of the autonomy of federal universities.
“It was clear to all present that forceful implementation of IPPIS would violate the autonomy of Nigerian Federal Universities as enshrined in the Universities (Miscellaneous Provision) Amendment Act 2003 (also called Universities Autonomy Act No.1, 2007.”
Reacting to Federal Government’s circular to commence the exercise, he said ASUU countered that circulars issued to Ministries, Departments, and Parastatals shall not be issued to universities, describing it as a breach of law.
The chairman, who spoke through the Assistant Secretary of the union, Abubakar Zaria-Ibrahim, explained that universities were governed by councils as contained in the laws establishing the universities.
The union then wondered why the Federal government would insist on enrolling workers into the World Bank-Conceived System even as it does not comply with the existing operational realities of the workforce.
He said ASUU, ABU Zaria, therefore in a Special Bulletin circulated in the university, reminded members that it’s National Executive Council’s resolution on the issue of IPPIS was still subsisting.
“We are aware of the propaganda that the Federal government is sending a team to the university to enrol staff from Monday 25th November to 7th December 2019.
“Members should remember that the union is engaging the federal government through a committee formed by the federal government itself to iron out the grey areas and ensure that the university autonomy, which we successfully fought for, is not jeopardized in any way.
“Members should also be fully informed that our principal officers have met with the leadership of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, after which the Senate leadership advised the Government to maintain the status quo, and that ASUU should come up with an alternative platform to IPPIS.
“in line with this, the ASUU leadership has written to all branches to make an input so as to arrive at a viable alternative,” he said.
The chairman, however, contended that despite measures taken, the Federal Government through the office of the Accountant General of the federation wanted to enrol university staff into IPPIS.
He advised members to remain resolute and take information only from the branch chairperson.
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