NASU urges govt to address IPPIS shortcomings in new payment platform

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has urged the Federal Government to guarantee that the caller wage outgo strategy for workers successful Nigerian universities avoids loopholes and alleged corruption associated with the Integrated Personnel and Payment Information System (IPPIS).

This is portion of the resolutions the national adopted astatine the regular gathering of the Universities and Inter-University Centres Trade Group Council held astatine the Akwa-Ibom State University.

The telephone follows the determination of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) gathering of December 13, 2023, astatine which national tertiary institutions were exempted from the IPPIS outgo platform.

The communique, which was signed by the lawman president of NASU, who doubles arsenic the Chairman of the Council, Buhari Suleiman and Secretary, ‘Damola Adelekun, lauded the Federal Government for listening to the complaints that trailed the implementation of IPPIS.

The communique work successful part: “Council noted that NASU has ever been astatine the forefront of the clamour for the abrogation of the IPPIS level and the national has already passed a ballot of nary assurance connected the level respective times since the outgo level has failed to close immoderate of the noticeable anomalies successful the platform.

“Council has reviewed the activities of IPPIS and truthful draws the attraction of the Federal Government to the information that the caller projected outgo level should woody with each the noticeable shortcomings, loopholes and fraud associated with IPPIS.

“Council expressed its appreciation to the Federal Government for the determination and urged that the caller outgo level should instrumentality connected committee the gains of IPPIS, beryllium credible and transparent for payments of the members’ salaries, entitlements, Union dues, and third-party deductions successful Universities and Inter-University Centres.”

On the withheld 4 months’ salaries by the government, NASU noted that the onslaught that lasted for 4 months successful 2022 was forced connected the unions by the authorities and that it would beryllium a treble jeopardy connected the portion of the workers to beryllium punished for an enactment that was not their fault.

“The Council-in-Session noted that the prolonged onslaught enactment successful the twelvemonth 2022 that lasted for months successful our Universities and Inter-University Centres was foisted connected america by the Federal Government’s insensitivity and deficiency of committedness to agreements reached with the unions.

“Council frowned and condemned successful totality the argumentation of ‘no work, nary pay’ imposed connected NASU members successful the Federal Universities and Inter-University Centres arsenic it is not lone anti-union but besides regressive successful nature, since NASU fulfilled each the indispensable provisions successful the instrumentality earlier embarking connected the onslaught hence should not beryllium punished unjustly,” it said.

However, portion the national said it appreciates the waiver granted connected ‘no work, nary pay’ by President Bola Tinubu successful October 2023, it is saddened astir the injustice meted to the non-teaching staffers by leaving them retired of the outgo released to their world counterparts contempt the ‘no victimization’ clause signed with the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU successful the statement reached connected the suspension of the onslaught connected 20th August 2022.

It added: “Council is shocked that contempt the protestation missive sent to the Federal Government, respective meetings with Government officials and the seven-day informing onslaught that was observed successful astir each the Universities and Inter-University Centres, the Government has refused to wage NASU members the 4 months withheld salaries.”

NASU stated that it whitethorn see embarking connected a caller onslaught if its members are not paid, saying, “Council, therefore, resolved that if the Federal Government fails to wage the withheld 4 months’ salaries immediately, the national whitethorn beryllium forced to embark connected indefinite onslaught enactment successful our Universities and Inter-University Centres.”

The national besides lamented the non-payment of unit salaries and the deterioration of learning and hostel facilities successful the state-owned institutions. According to NASU, immoderate states are yet to afloat instrumentality the 2019 nationalist minimum wage arsenic good arsenic instrumentality the 2023 wage grant arsenic approved by the Federal Government, saying, “Council truthful calls connected State Governors that person not implemented the Year 2019 nationalist minimum wage, FGN/NASU 2009 statement and wage grant to bash truthful without further hold to debar the looming concern unrest successful their assemblage campuses.”

NASU besides frowned astatine the enactment of immoderate managements of universities and inter-university centres that automatically migrate elder unit members of NASU to different unions without their consent.

While condemning specified action, the national called connected managements that are culpable to desist from specified acts arsenic NASU volition not hesitate to instrumentality due steps against specified managements adding that it has jurisdictional scope that covers some inferior and elder non-academic staff.

On the wont of immoderate of its members not attending meetings, the commercialized national radical said the attendance of meetings is mandatory for each eligible members and branches.