By Ayo Kehinde
Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has urged members to remain steadfast and await the outcome of ongoing talks with the government over their demands.
Ogunyemi who addressed a statement to all Zonal Coordinators and member of the union on Thursday, warned members to stay away from the officials of Integrated Personnel and Payroll System, IPPS, who would be visiting the university campuses for biometric capture of lecturers.
He told members to have nothing to do with them officials “as fact-check by ASUU with figures from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, OAGF, have proven the claim that our members are trooping to enrol in IPPS in Abuja as false. The number is insignificant.”
Stating that between October 12 and 15, the Union had presented and demonstrated the University Accountability and Transparency Solution, UTAS, was before the President, Leadership of the National Assembly, the Accountant General of the Federation and Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Universities Commission, NUC, he urged members to await the final outcome of the negotiations to follow the successful technical demonstration of the UTAS as a final step towards resolving their demands with the government.
“UTAS is a creation of Nigeria Scholars to secure the autonomy of Nigerian Universities and reposition our university system education for global competitiveness,” he said, adding that, “the leadership of our great union is fully aware of the hardship the non-payment of salaries by the Accountant -General and other forms of intimidation by overzealous Vice- Chancellors have unleashed on our members and we are leaving no stone unturned to address the situation. Therefore all members of ASUU should stay away from anything related to IPPS; so as not to jeopardise the ongoing critical engagement with the Federal Government.”
