Enrolling lecturers in IPPIS will erode university autonomy — Zik Varsity ASUU

The members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka chapter, have rejected the enrollment of lecturers in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPSI) by the federal government.

ASUU-NAU said this at a news conference at the end of its congress in Awka on Monday.

Prof. Stephen Ufoaru, who spoke on behalf the union, said enrolling the lecturers in IPPIS would erode the autonomy of the university system and stifle research and learning.

Ufoaru said lecturers were employees of governing council of universities and that IPPIS would whittle the powers of the councils to run the system and make them function ideally.

“As a union, we will not be part of that exercise, we have developed our alternative platform that will address the peculiarity of the university system and we hope that the federal government will engage us so we can make presentation.

“Until these peculiarities and grey areas are resolved, our stand is that will not be part of the IPPIS system.

“ASUU is not daring the government on this matter, the autonomy of the university is at stake, our autonomy is a law and you cannot by mere oral pronouncement set it aside or implement policies that will undermine it.

“We are assuring that government will appreciate our efforts in developing this alternative platform which is in the interest of the country and the university system general,” he said.

The chairman said the powers to engage the staff of the universities will no longer be with the councils but with politicians, adding that such would lead to collapse of the system.

The union urged the Federal Government to rescind the decision and allow Nigerian universities to operate according to international best practices.

“A university lecturer is not just an employee of the Federal Government, he does other things aside teaching, including research, sabbatical, assessment of colleagues in other lecturers, they are paid for these services and IPPIS does not capture them.

“ASUU has its mechanisms for fighting for our rights, at the appointed time we will roll out these mechanisms,” he said. (NAN)

Pix caption:

Prof.Stephen Ufoaru ASUU NAU (middle) and others officials during the news conference