ASUU Warns Of Impending Closure Of Varsities

Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the federal government to act to prevent the nation’s Ivory Towers from being shut down again.

The union made the call after its members at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) in Kwara State staged a peaceful rally on the institution’s campus.

The ASUU chairman of the university, Dr Alex Akanmu, urged “well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the government to do the needful now. This rescue mission of not allowing our institutions to be shut down is a collective task.”

“Since the introduction of IPPIS in 2007, our union has vehemently opposed the platform because of the danger to realising university autonomy, its antithesis to global practices and the fraud associated with the deployment.

“The allegations of bribery, delay in capturing staff on payroll, and corruption are still major features of the IPPIS. Our union, with different positions on the imposition of IPPIS, challenged and, at no cost, developed and proposed the University Transparent and Accountability Solution (UTAS), which was considered suitable for universities. However, the government, guided by IMF interests, opposed the acceptance and deployment of this solution.

“The same government, in July 2023 through the Senate, realizing the havoc and level of fraud by IPPIS launched a probe with no outcome till now. In December 2023, the government, through the Federal Executive Council, directed the removal of universities and other tertiary institutions from the IPPIS platform, but this directive is yet to be obeyed even by the government.

“Our salaries are still been paid under the newly branded “New IPPIS”. The mutilation of our salaries and surprises brought by the discrepancies in payment is still alarming monthly.

“We demand for immediate implementation of the directive on exiting the universities and other tertiary institutions from IPPIS and release of third-party deductions for cooperative societies, pension contributions and appropriate check-off dues,” Akanmu said.

Akanmu added that, “it is unfortunate that as we speak, government is yet to pay the outstanding balance of the three and half months of our withheld salaries.

“The unjustifiable delay in payment of our due remuneration only mirrors attempt to frustrate the commitment and dedication of the academic staff who have continued to fulfill their responsibilities to students and the broader academic community.

“We are convinced of this legitimate demand for the payment of our withheld salaries and condemn this slave-master attitude of the government.”

On the state of the nation, the ASUU chairman said that “the current economic crises in our nation are gradually making everyone an endangered species. The issue has become hydra-headed and complex with randomness, crime index, and unpredictable inflation rate. In 2009, it was N156.02 to a dollar, and today, it is N1,488/dollar. Without mincing words, our purchasing power has been reduced and restricted.