Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Nsukka zone (ASUU-Nsukka Zone), has raised the alarm over alleged pressure to force academic staff in Nigerian universities to enrol into the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System(IPPIS) as being canvassed by the Federal Government.
Addressing newsmen at the ASUU Secretariat of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi on Friday, Nsukka Zonal Coordinator of the Union, Dr. Igbana Ajir stated that the policy lacked constitutional backing.
The union posited that IPPIS has both violated the autonomy of universities as well as contradicted the superiority of the governing councils in the control and management of university funds, employment, discipline and promotion of staff for compelling all staff in federal universities in Nigeria to enrol and be paid centrally.
Ajir maintained that universities in Nigeria have different laws governing the condition of their service which is enforced by their various councils.
He explained further that any attempt to bring them under one umbrella which is meant for the Federal Civil Service, would not only undermine their autonomy but severely infringe on the academic freedom.
While averring that ASUU will never support or condone any action or policy of government that is capable of encouraging corruption in the university system, Ajir said the union’s position was predicated on the extant legal provision and negotiated agreements which have always been based on the peculiarities of the university system.
Those peculiarities, he noted, include the violation of university autonomy, Federal Government agreement with ASUU and peculiarities, nature and structure of Nigerian universities.
“The University autonomy is enshrined in 2AA of the Universities Miscellaneous Act 2003 as amended which specifically allows the various governing councils to control and manage funds and ensure research and library development in their various universities.
“Thus, IPPIS lacks constitutional backing as well as the support of any Act of the National Assembly to subject the universities to the direction and control of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation with respect to payment of staff remuneration.
“The Peculiarities, Nature and Structure of Nigerian Universities such as the remuneration of staff on sabbatical, external examination, earned academic allowance, the replacement/recruitment of staff and possibility of capturing staff for monetisation of annual/accumulated leave amongst others, that were not addressed in IPPIS made us to rise against the policy.”
The union thus calls on well-meaning Nigerians including CSOs, students and the global community to intervene, warning that the introduction of IPPIS in the universities would only compound the problem of regular flow of funds and personnel management rather than resolve it.