A bigwig of the Academic Staff Union of the Nigeria University, ASUU, Dr Christian Opata has rejected the claim that the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information Management System (IPPIS) was the sole purpose the Academicians have refused to go back to the classroom in the last one year. Opata, an ASUU chairman of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN chapter made this claim today while briefing newsmen on the prolonged industrial action.
The Lecturer said that the claim was necessary to correct the notion going around that the ASUU were on strike because they resist the IPPIS which seek to expose their act of receiving double pay from a different institution as against the usual practice. The ASUU branch chair said, “ASUU didn’t go on strike because of a misunderstanding with the government on IPPIS as a platform for payment of salary.
“IPPIS issue started in 2018, before then, ASUU has been calling on the government to honour the 2009 agreement and various MoUs it entered with government.
According to him, the 2009 agreement and MOUs that government refused to honour, the release of money for University revitalization of the decayed infrastructure were amongst those things that pushed the ASUU into Industrial action. He explained that it was mischievous on part of some people to accuse ASUU of insensitivity over the plight of students and parents, when the government was also guilty of ignoring the agreement they were party to.
Opata said the strike would have been avoided if the government had honour part of its agreement and MOUs it signed with ASUU. He urges opinion holders be fair to ASUU whom their target is to ensure the public Universities receives the proper attention it deserves from government.
