IPPIS: ASUU threatens strike if January salary is not paid

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has threatened to go on strike if the Federal Government doesn't rescind its decision to withhold the January salary of its members who failed to enrol in the Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, had on Tuesday ordered the Ministry of Finance not to release funds for the January salary of ASUU members yet to enroll in IPPIS.

Reacting to the development, ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, stated that lecturers might have to down tools if the decision is not rescinded.

“We didn’t take part in that decision. What we were expecting them to do was to allow the ongoing discussion to run its full course. Now that we are reading about this in the media, it’s as if some elements in government are trying to sabotage the process. We came out of the meeting with Mr. President believing that they will give us room to explain how the UTAS will better address our peculiarities and autonomy than IPPIS. However, they have not allowed that to happen. We suspect it’s due to the activities of some individuals or groups that are trying to sabotage the process.

“If they push us to the point of taking our final decision about it, we too will tell them ‘no pay, no work’ because we have a resolution that is on ground already. The resolution we took long time ago, which we reactivated at our meeting in Minna last month. So, whichever way they want to go, ASUU will rise to the challenge.” he said in a chat with The New Telegraph

Speaking on issuing an ultimatum to the government to force them to rescind the decision, Ogunyemi said: “I have worked for one month somebody is saying you are not paying me for that month, do I need to give you ultimatum to tell you that I can no longer work until you pay me?”