The Benin Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has described the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) as a deliberate ploy to cripple the Nigerian university system.
It urged the federal and state government to stop the war strategy of starvation under the radar of IPPIS, by paying its members their salaries, in the interest of justice.
The Benin zone of ASUU stated these Tuesday in the Edo State capital through its Coordinator, Prof. Fred Esumeh, who was accompanied by five other leaders of the zone.
Benin zone of ASUU consists of University of Benin; Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma in Edo state; Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko and Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, both in Ondo state; Delta State University, Abraka; and the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, also in Delta state.
ASUU, Benin zone insisted that the ongoing indefinite strike declared by the national leadership of the union was inevitable, while blaming the Federal Government for the forceful application of IPPIS and its refusal to implement the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement and the 2013 Memorandum of Association the government voluntarily entered into with the union and other demands aimed at addressing the rot in Nigerian education system.
ASUU Benin zone said: “Consequently, the zone views government’s insistence and forceful application of IPPIS, even when the union is in discussion with government’s representatives, as a deliberate ploy to cripple the Nigerian university system.
“The zone calls on government to stop the war strategy of starvation, by paying our members their salaries.”
The Benin zone of ASUU also stated that the irregularities experienced by members of affiliate unions in Nigerian universities, especially SAANU, NAAT, and NASU in the payment of February 2020 salaries, had corroborated the lecturers’ position that the IPPIS had failed all forms of integrity test.
It urged the government to beat a retreat and embrace the proposed University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) being developed by ASUU members, in order to pave way for the smooth running of public universities in Nigeria.
The Benin zone of ASUU said: “Nigerian students and their parents may not be happy with the indefinite strike, but it is to compel the Federal Government to do the needful by providing a decent learning environment and improve the quality of Nigerian graduates.
“Some ASUU members who went to enrol on IPPIS have started running to us for help. There was the case of a vice-chancellor who enrolled on IPPIS, but was paid N57,000 as his monthly salary, instead of over one million naira.”
ASUU, Benin zone also insisted that lecturers in public universities across Nigeria were not difficult, but wanted to ensure that the right things were done.

By Bisi Olaniyi