ASUU Clashes With FG As IPPIS System Dropped For Federal Tertiary Institutions

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has criticised the Federal Government’s decision to deactivate the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) for federal tertiary institutions, expressing concerns over its continued role in salary verification.

The government’s move, confirmed by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), purportedly exempts federal institutions from IPPIS, following a longstanding contention over its suitability for academic staff.

In a statement released on Monday, the Director of Press and Public Relations at the OAGF, Bawa Mokwa, clarified that deactivation of IPPIS for tertiary institutions was “a natural step,” reflecting the Federal Government’s directive.

However, ASUU’s National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, contested the interpretation, pointing out that IPPIS would still verify salary data before payment, a process ASUU views as intrusive and inconsistent with university autonomy.

“It is not acceptable to us as a union,” Osodeke stated. “The government’s plan requires over 300 institutions across the country to submit salary data to IPPIS for vetting. This is merely a ploy to complicate matters and curtail our autonomy.”

ASUU has long argued that the IPPIS framework undermines university autonomy and academic freedom, forcing conditions on staff such as age-based retirements, which the union claims violate the University Autonomy Act.

In response to these challenges, ASUU developed the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), an alternative system tailored for academia, though it remains unrecognised by the government.

In a related development, the Congress of University Academia (CONUA), another academic staff union, has raised concerns about withheld salaries owed to its members, who were not involved in ASUU’s recent industrial actions.

CONUA’s National President, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, issued a statement from Osogbo on Monday urging the Federal Government to release three and a half months of back pay, which he says were unfairly withheld despite CONUA’s decision to refrain from joining the strike.

“The government’s action punishes those who did not strike along with those who did,” said Sunmonu. “This is unjust and disregards the recent judgment by the National Industrial Court recognizing CONUA as an independent union.” Sunmonu also noted that the Federal Government’s decision contradicts Nigeria’s Trade Disputes Act, which protects workers’ remuneration during periods of employer-led lockouts.

Amid the IPPIS controversy and disputes over unpaid salaries, ASUU has announced a forthcoming negotiation with the Federal Government to address broader issues, including the fulfilment of a 2009 agreement.

Osodeke indicated that the union’s next steps, including the possibility of renewed industrial action, would hinge on the outcome of the meeting.

“We hope for a positive outcome. If not, we may need to reconsider our position” Osodeke remarked.