Join the Struggle to Redeem Universities, ASUU Tells Nigerians
3 min read
by Pearl Harold
Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU), has called on parents and students to join in the struggle to salvage Nigeria’s public universities from total collapse.
The Port Harcourt zone of ASUU made the call at a press conference it held at the Conference Room of the Faculty of Law, Niger Delta University, Amassoma on Thursday, November 5th, 2020.
The union, which expressed worry over the lingering closure of schools due to the ongoing ASUU strike, noted that it would continue in the struggle until the contentious issues are addressed.
The statement which was jointly signed by the Coordinator of Port Harcourt zone of the union, Comrade Uzo Onyebiama and chairpersons of the union of universities in the zone, Emmanuel Akpan of Federal University, Otuoke, Endurance Joseph, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Kingdom Tombara, NDU and Austen Sado, University of Port Harcourt, stated that the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) that is been promoted by the Federal Government as a tool to curb corruption would erode universities autonomy.
The statement read in parts, ” IPPIS removes the powers of the Governing Councils and installs it on the Attorney General of the Federation. IPPIS ensures that Governing Councils of universities are no longer free to discharge their functions and exercise their responsibilities and can no longer ensure that disbursement of universities funds comply with the approved budgetary ratio for personnel cost, overhead cost etc.”
According to the union, the imposition of IPPIS on universities in the country, poses danger to the system as it strips universities Governing Councils of their powers and responsibilities and universities autonomy, which they noted, is critical for the survival of universities.
The statement further noted that the directive by President Buhari to Vice Chancellors of universities on compulsory enrollment and migration of academic staff to IPPIS, thus, withholding lecturers’ salaries and change of effective date of annual salary increment, contravenes the Universities Miscellaneous Act, and therefore null and void.
ASUU also queried the reported elimination of alleged ghost workers through IPPIS by the Federal Government, and challenged the Accountant General of the Federation to release the names and amount that was paid to the reported over 60,000 ghost workers that were removed from 2014 and subsequent ones, and also show evidence of recovery and prosecution of the perpetrators.
“We want to challenge the Accountant General of the Federation as a matter of urgent national importance, release with immediate effect, the names and amounts previously paid to each and everyone of the over 60,000 Ghost Workers purportedly eliminated as at 2014 and subsequently, and also show evidence of recovery and prosecution of the ghost workers. This is the only way that Mr Accountant General of the Federation and other proponents of IPPIS can prove their case about ghost workers beyond reasonable doubt.”
On the Funding of the IPPIS, ASUU called for a “detailed financial report of the expenses incurred on IPPIS since inception, including expenditures of loans from the World Bank, licence fees paid by the World Bank, expenses from the National budget, migration fees, etc.
“This will assure Nigerians that IPPIS has not become a gold mine for officers of some agencies of the Federal Government.”
