ASUU Restates Position On IPPS

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), yesterday, insisted that it was pressing ahead with its University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), as a substitute to the Federal Government’s preferred Integrated Payroll and Personnel System (IPPS).
This came as the university lecturer’s union flayed the media for what it described as misrepresentation of facts in its recent meeting with President Muhammad Buhari, saying contrary to some media reports, the meeting was not called solely to discuss IPPS “which ASUU rejected, and still rejects, for sound reasons.”
A communiqué released by the group, after its meeting held at its national secretariat, located at the Main Campus of the University of Abuja, yesterday, ASUU, insisted that there was no going back from its earlier position on IPPS.
In the communiqué tagged: ”Meeting with President Buhari Beyond IPPS”, signed by its National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, ASUU said its recent meeting with President Buhari was not special as it had always done same with past presidents, notably ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, wondering why the latest was sensationalised.
The communiqué read: ”The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has found it necessary to correct the wrong impression created by a section of the media that the meeting of the Union with President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) on Thursday, 9th January, 2020 was called solely to discuss the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) which ASUU rejected, and still rejects, for sound reasons.
“Background to the visit ASUU believes that engagement with the leadership of Nigeria by the academic community should be a seamless process.
“Before the last visit to the State House, ASUU had previously engaged former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan at various times respectively.
“Such visits afforded the union opportunities to put across the perspective of Nigerian academics on what role education should play in addressing national challenges.”
On issues discussed at the meeting, ASUU said, ”The meeting of ASUU with President Buhari on 9th January, 2020 was conceived in the broad context of education and national development within the Triple Helix principles as established in China, Singapore, Malaysia, among other emerging economic powers.”
It explained that, ”The meeting was called in response to the union’s request as conveyed in its letter of 21st October 2019? to the president.
According to it, ”The letter specifically outlined three issues for discussion.”
These, it explained, were: ”ASUU’s position on the violation of Universities’ Autonomy Law (Universities Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Act 2003, Laws of the respective universities and Agreements with ASUU as it relates to the planned forceful enrolment of academics in Federal Universities on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
“The 7th February, 2019 FGN-ASUU Memorandum of Action and implications of its non-implementation.