KEHINDE ADEWOLE
The Senior Staff of Associations of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), at the weekend frowned at what the union described as irregular, inexplicable and contradictory payment noticed in the late payment of the February, 2020 salary to it’s members, which was done through the new platform, IPPIS.
The Federal Government (FG) had mandated all Federal University workers to register on the IPPIS platform which it said was developed to get rid of alleged corruption in the system and capture elaborate areas.
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had kicked against the introduction of IPPIS, on grounds that it would impede systemic progress made so far about the nation’s University system. While all non-academic workers had registered, majority of academic staff had refused to register on IPPIS in obedience to ASUU’s directives.
When FG threatened to withhold February salary of those who failed to register, ASUU had embarked on a two weeks warning strike from March 9, and forced government to open discussion on the IPPIS and other pending issues.
The FG through the Minister of Labour and employment, Chris Ngige on Wednesday, March 11, announced its readiness to work with ASUU on the issues.
The ugly development had led to delay in payment of February salary for both the academic and non-academic members.
However, when the February salary eventually dropped for those who registered on IPPIS platform on Friday, March 13, SSANU raised the alarm that there were irregularities in the payment via IPPIS.
In a letter sent to some SSANU branches of the universities at the weekend, chairman of the union at the Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Comrade Aliyu, said: ” it has come to the notice of the Union (SSANU) that the February, 2020 salary to the University Staff which was released very late was inexplicable and contradictory. The payment which was made through the IPPIS platform had negated the actual agreement the non-teaching staff reached with the Government in August and September, 2019. It could be recalled that the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of non-teaching staff unions were given assurance that all University peculiarities would be captured in the IPPIS platform but to our utmost surprise, what we received yesterday, as salary was embarrassing and frightening.
” It is against this background that, I write to sympathize with our members over this unwarranted development and to further inform you that, the Union at branch level, along with many other branches of SSANU across the country had since yesterday forwarded their grievances to the National Body requesting for urgent action and intervention that would force the Government to correct this obnoxious mode of salary payment.
” Meanwhile, I on behalf of all executive members, hereby implore our members to please bear with us while we await for the expected further action from the Joint Action Committee of Non- Teaching Staff as the issue is beyond the jurisdiction of Branch. We also use this opportunity to thank our members who have been communicating their good advice on the best ways the Union will handle the issue.
Once again, we reiterate our unbounded commitment towards solving this problem and the progress of SSANU in general.”