The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has given the reason it is yet to call off its ongoing strike, following its dispute with the Federal Government.
The national body of the university lecturers said that they are waiting for the government to conduct an integrity test on the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), a homegrown payment platform created by ASUU in place of the government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
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While making the disclosure during an interview with Punch, the ASUU President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, said the government needed to give the clearance to National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to conduct an integrity test on UTAS.
The ASUU President said, “The integrity test will be handled by NITDA, it is the government that will facilitate it because NITDA is a government agency and unless you get clearance from the government that test cannot be conducted.”
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On whether the government had accepted UTAS, Ogunyemi said, “We are still talking, we have given them the position of our members, we are thinking we should be able to hold a meeting this week if they have not changed plans. The meeting for Monday was postponed. In principle, they have accepted UTAS and told us to go for the test, and on our part, we have started the process.
“We had presented UTAS at three levels, starting with the Ministry of Education, Senate President and members of his team, officials of Ministry of Finance and Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, where all other stakeholders were present, including NITDA. All stakeholders have witnessed the presentation and the next stage of integrity test is what we are moving into.
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“If government facilitates it, it is not something that should drag for too long at all. We don’t foresee any problem with UTAS, it also depends on how early the government makes it possible for the integrity test to be conducted.”
Ogunyemi also explained that ASUU was ready to resume academic activities if the government was ready to play its part.
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He said, “Our members are ready to resume work as early as the government is ready to play its part. I’m sure you are not suggesting that our members should resume on an empty stomach or the strike should be suspended without any concrete action on the side of the government. We don’t like to stay away from our work because we like our students; they are also our children.’’
Ogunyemi noted that as far as they are concerned, they don’t have any issue with going back to work, but they want more sincerity on the side of government.
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What you should know
It can be recalled that ASUU embarked on an industrial action about 8 months ago across the country, following its dispute with the Federal Government over their insistence on the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) in the payment of University lecturers’ salaries and allowances. Alternatively, ASUU developed a homegrown payment platform, UTAS, which they believe guarantees the autonomy of the university.
The Federal Government, following negotiation with ASUU, said that it might consider adopting UTAS as a way of finding a solution to the lingering crisis.
Dan kutumar bura Uba ku karkijenye strike dan maiyagawa uwarku tsinan nu
Rejection of IPPIS clearly shows that ASUU has skeleton it is hiding. Lengthy strikes by this bunch will be curtailed once we implement no work no pay in this country.
You are right
It’s so shameful that the federal Government in the hit of the Endsar protest was eager to end the ASSU strike but after the protest has died down all efforts to end the now 8 month’s strike has drastically reduce.
Based on the news, the minister of Labour assured us that before 6th November that the unpaid arrears of the lecturers will be paid along side 30billion unpaid allowance. We the Nigeria students were all happy that at least by November school will resume only for the meeting held yesterday 5th November ended dreadlockly. What a shame to an administration to keep the educational sector on a stand still……… Maybe if your wards were attending schools here in Nigeria, the President, minister of Labour, finance minister, minister of Education; you men would have taken a different situation
NOW ASSU National Chairman; stop your power gripping with the federal Government and think about the student. I think maybe you have misplaced your priority which is to the Nigeria students and the lecturers and as a father I am disappointed at the approach you are taking to prolong this strike…. the last meeting heard On October……., it was agreed and published on the News papers that the 30billoin unpaid arrears were to be shared with other unions, why didnt you come out then to debunk the sharing and also the government offered revitalization fund N20 billion as a sign of good faith while not take this first considering this year economic situation of not just Nigeria but the world as a whole coz of the pandemic and call off the strike…. at the long run you think you are helping but you are only destroying the lives of the students you claim you are helping…..
If you care for the students you will call off the strike collect what the federal Government is offering now because you all know you cant win against the Government; the only way that can happen is through educating the students to make sure their vote counts in year 2023 election so that a president who values education can be elected.
Thank you
# end the strike# better education for the youth
Well said. Negotiations can continue as the students are back to classes. It is high time for ASUU to find better way to negotiate with government than through incessant strike action.