FG adds 8000 lecturers as Universities risk fresh strike in January

Come January 2020, a nationwide strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities looms as the Federal Government and the union fail to settle their disagreement on the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information 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, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), 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 enrol 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.

The officer 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.