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IPPIS: ASUU Strike Looms In Jan
A nationwide strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is imminent in January with the failure of the Federal Government and the union to settle their disagreement on the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
The Tide’s source yesterday gathered that the two sides had not resolved their differences over the payroll system.
While ASUU said it was still waiting for the National Assembly’s invitation as part of efforts to resolve the disagreement, a top officer of the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning said the regime’s decision on the IPPIS remained the same.
Following a directive by the President Muhammadu Buhari, at the 2020 budget presentation at the National Assembly on October 8, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation deployed the IPPIS officers to universities between October 25 and November 7.
The AGF office said that based on Buhari’s directive that all federal employees must enroll for the IPPIS, universities workers must make themselves available for the enrolment during the period.
But ASUU faulted the payroll system, saying it negated the principle of universities’ autonomy. It also directed its members to shun the registration for the IPPIS.
But the top officer, who said the position of the regime on the IPPIS had not changed, stated that those who failed to register for the payroll system would not receive their December salaries.
He said: “The government has been very clear that everyone must be on the IPPIS to be able to get salaries. So if you are not enrolled, how do you get paid?”
He, however, said the Presidency would take the final decision on the fate of those that had not been enrolled for the IPPIS.
The officer said about 90,000 workers in about 43 universities had registered for the IPPIS, adding that 8,000 out of the 90,000 universities’ workers were lecturers.
“The IPPIS officials have done the enrollment across the universities based on the window given for the exercise to be conducted and they are back to the office.
“So, we are reviewing the data and whatever action that is going to be taken will be from there. But what I can tell you is that we have over 90,000 university workers on the IPPIS.
“So, if we have over 90,000 that enrolled, it shows that it is good enough. And out of this figure, we have quite a number of academic staff. We have over 8,000 from academic staff that have enrolled.
“So, definitely, we had a very good outing because over 90,000 were enrolled during the period and people are still calling to be enrolled.
“If they want to enroll, they should come here (Abuja) and we will enroll them. If you give people opportunity to enroll and they wasted it, we can’t go to their houses to enroll them.
“The IPPIS is a presidential directive and for now, it is the Presidency that will determine what will be their (ASUU’s) fate”, he said.
When asked what it would do if the Federal Government failed to pay the December salaries of lecturers that failed to register, the President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said the union still stood by the decision of its National Executive Committee meeting in Minna, Niger State.
After meeting in Minna on Wednesday last week, ASUU had threatened that its members would go on strike if the Federal Government stopped their salaries.
Ogunyemi had said, “As resolved at the ASUU-NEC meeting at FUT Minna, should the Accountant-General make bold his threat of stopping the salaries of our members, the union shall activate its standing resolution of ‘No Pay, No Work’.
“NEC did not only reiterate its unequivocal rejection of IPPIS as an ill-wind that will blow the Nigerian University system no good, it also resolved that no amount of blackmail, intimidation and outright misinformation of the Nigerian public will make ASUU lose focus on its historic role as the conscience of the university system.”
ASUU had earlier said it was waiting for an invitation from the National Assembly, especially the Senate, so that it could demonstrate the alternative model it developed to the IPPIS.
The ASUU said the alternative model, University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), was ready and its team of experts would display it to the government once the National Assembly invited the union.
Ogunyemi, who said this in an interview with one of The Tide’s source in Abuja, stated that the UTAS was ready but the union needed the support of the government which would in turn give a directive to the authorities of universities.
He said, “Well, we are expecting to hear from the National Assembly but we have not heard from them. The last time we met them, we told them about that proposal and we said that our team had started working on it. So, we went back to meet representatives of the National Assembly after that and we told them that we were 33 per cent ready as of that time. But we have gone beyond that.
“Now we are moving towards a stage where we will need the consent of the universities and that is why what we have been saying is that the government should agree with us that we would go further with that alternative.”
The President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, had at the meeting with ASUU on October 28 appealed to the union not to go on strike over the IPPIS, but the union had told Lawan that it was developing an alternative model to the IPPIS.
The union, after the NEC meeting on Wednesday last week, had said the UTAS was designed by a team of crack software engineers, who are based in the Nigerian universities.
The union argued that unlike IPPIS, UTAS would address the uniqueness of the university system, particularly the flexibility of the payroll and personnel management.
The IPPIS platform is an integral part of the Federal Government’s public finance reform initiative aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of government payroll.
Meanwhile, the Senate has kept mum on the claims by ASUU that the Red Chamber had not invited its leadership for another meeting after their first engagement some weeks ago.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a large consignment of cocaine concealed in heads of imported dry stock fish and arrested a key member of the syndicate responsible for shipping the drugs abroad.
The agency disclosed this in a statement issued yesterday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
He said the arrest and seizure followed intelligence on trans-border criminal activities.
Babafemi said the intelligence led to a sting operation by operatives of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Strategic Command of the Agency at the Ojo area of Lagos on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
“In the course of the operation, three jumbo size bags were found in possession of the kingpin 36-year-old Akputa Dickson Ejike.
“A search of the bags led to the recovery of Two Hundred and Thirty-Seven (237) wraps of cocaine buried in the heads of imported dry stock fish locally known as ‘Okporoko.’
“The cocaine pellets have a gross weight of 5.80 kilograms. The consignment was intended for export to Delhi, India,” the statement read.
In a separate operation on Wednesday, March 25, NDLEA operatives from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted two consignments bound for the United Kingdom at a courier company in Lagos.
“In one of the shipments that originated from Cotonou, Benin Republic, 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine were found concealed in automobile filters while the second parcel contains 40 ampoules of Morphine Sulphate and nine ampoules of Fentanyl,” the statement said.
Babafemi added that on March 26, a Special Operations Unit (SOU) raided the home of 46-year-old Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, known as “Iya Ghana,” at 13 Carter Street, Yaba, Lagos.
According to him, she and her associate, 31-year-old Sarah Zainab Agbabiaka, were arrested after operatives recovered 135 blocks of cannabis weighing 76.30 kilograms.
“Same day, the SOU operatives also arrested Anayo Lucky Ohabiro, 39, at Doyin bus stop, Surulere, Lagos following credible intelligence. A total of 78 blocks of Ghana Loud weighing 41kg were seized from him,” he said.
In Ekiti State, the statement added that “an 80-year-old grandpa, Oke Samuel, was on Thursday 26th March arrested by NDLEA operatives during a special raid operation at Mosafuneto camp, Erinmo road, Efon-Alaaye Ekiti. A total of 2.2kg skunk and 1.8grams of methamphetamine were recovered from him.”
Another suspect, 37-year-old Enuwa Kehinde Kingsley, had 894.72 kilograms of skunk seized from an uncompleted building in Ogbese, Akure North, Ondo State.
Elsewhere, 35-year-old Saater Nyam was apprehended at Pevi village, Guma LGA, Benue State, with 116.7 kilograms of skunk on Tuesday, March 24.
In Edo State, a warehouse raid in Ekpoma town, Esan West LGA, on Monday, March 23, led to the arrest of 25-year-old Felix Donald and the seizure of 576.5 kilograms of skunk and 33 bottles of codeine-based syrup.
In Taraba State, Babafemi said NDLEA officers intercepted a truck carrying 100 blocks of compressed skunk weighing 135 kilograms concealed in animal feed bags from Garbachede to Gombe State on Tuesday, March 24.
Two suspects, 21-year-old Osama Mamuda and 22-year-old Auwal Umar, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
Babafemi noted that the agency has also continued its War Against Drug Abuse social advocacy, conducting sensitisation lectures in schools across Cross River, Adamawa, Oyo, Kano, and Lagos states.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Marwa (Rtd), commended operatives from MMIA, SOU, DOGI, Ekiti, Ondo, Benue, Edo, and Taraba Commands for their efforts and praised all commands nationwide for balancing drug supply reduction with drug demand reduction initiatives.
The Christian Association of Nigeria has called on political leaders at all levels to demonstrate empathy and take urgent steps to ease the growing economic hardship facing Nigerians, as Christians mark Palm Sunday.
In a statement issued on Sunday, CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said the significance of Palm Sunday offers timely lessons for leadership, particularly during a period marked by economic strain and global uncertainty.
Reflecting on the biblical account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, Okoh noted that the moment symbolised humility, peace, and purposeful leadership rather than a display of power.
“Jesus entered Jerusalem with calm resolve at a time of uncertainty and expectation. It was not a show of force, but a message of peace, purpose, and hope,” he said.
He stressed that the country’s current socio-economic realities demand similar qualities from those in authority.
“Across Nigeria, many are feeling the weight of the times. The cost of living is rising, and for countless families, daily life is getting harder,” Okoh said.
He linked domestic economic challenges to global developments, particularly tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, which he said are disrupting energy markets worldwide.
“The impact is already here. Fuel is more expensive. Transport costs are rising. Food prices are climbing,” he said, warning that such pressures are intensifying the hardship faced by ordinary citizens.
The CAN president emphasised that in times of uncertainty, the tone and actions of leaders are critical in restoring public confidence.
“For many Nigerians, the concern is simple and immediate: how to cope, how to plan, how to stay afloat. When life feels this uncertain, people need reassurance, stability, and the quiet confidence that those in positions of responsibility understand what they are going through,” he stated.
He further urged leaders to embrace a style of governance rooted in restraint, compassion, and commitment to the common good.
“True leadership is not always loud. It is seen in empathy and in decisions that ease burdens, calm anxieties, and bring people together. This is a time for such wisdom,” Okoh added.
Beyond government, CAN also called on the Church and citizens to promote unity and peace, drawing inspiration from the collective spirit associated with Palm Sunday.
“It reminds us of a moment when people from all walks of life came together with one purpose. That same spirit is needed now. We must stand for peace, strengthen unity, and support one another,” he said.
Addressing young Nigerians and those most affected by the economic downturn, Okoh encouraged resilience and hope.
“The challenges are real, but they are not the end of the story,” he said, urging citizens not to lose faith amid difficulties.
He expressed hope that the lessons of Palm Sunday would inspire renewed commitment to national cohesion and shared progress.
“As we journey through this sacred season, may the spirit of Palm Sunday guide us towards quiet courage, shared purpose, and a renewed commitment to the good of all,” the statement added.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South -South to be united and work together to ensure that the ruling party achieves its ultimate goal in the region.
The governor who spoke at the South South Zonal Congress in Asaba, Delta State, said working in unity and with a common purpose will enable them deliver optimally to the electoral fortunes of the party in 2027.
“We can only achieve our goal when we are united and we work together. I surely believe that this is the right time, the right people and the right place. My charge to those of you elected today is that the responsibility is going to be very tasking but I believe strongly that they will deliver for our party,” he said.
Fubara expressed confidence that the newly elected leadership of the party would be equal to the task.
He expressed profound gratitude to the Delta State Government for hosting the Zonal Delegates Congress, stressing that he believes that the best will come from the South South region.
The Congress which attracted the creme de la creme of the APC in the zone, saw the re-election of the zonal leadership through consensus. The reinstated leaders were promptly inaugurated at the ceremony.
Some of the dignitaries in attendance include the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Governors Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, Duoye Doris of Bayelsa State, Monday Okpebholo of Edo State, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, Bassey Otu of Cross River State and Sheriff Oboroevwori of Delta State.
Also in attendance were the members of the National Assembly as well as members of the State Houses of Assembly from the South South Zone.
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