A fresh crisis between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government loomed Thursday night as the union asked its members to shun registration for the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS).
The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) Ahmed Idris, in an advertorial, on Wednesday announced that university teachers will be captured on the payroll system between November 25 and December 7.
ASUU National President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, insisted that no lecturer will enrol, sparking fears that the association may soon ask members to shut down the Federal universities.
The conflict first surfaced in October, with the ASUU threatening a strike. But the Senate intervened and sued for the maintenance of the status quo.
ASUU President said the union is working out an alternative payroll system for lecturers, adding that the alternative would be comparable to Federal Government’s proposed IPPIS.
He said university lecturers would have a follow-up meeting with the leadership of Senate to discuss the alternative they are proposing to the government
“We have not changed our position. Our discussion with the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, is that we should come up with an alternative that will be juxtaposed with what government is presenting”, ASUU president Ogunyemi told The Nation.
“As we have said, our alternative is in the works. We are working on the alternative that we proposed and we hope to have a follow-up meeting with the leadership of the Senate.
“They have told us that the status quo should remain and we expect the ministry or the Accountant-General’s Office to also keep to that position.
“If they are saying they want to stop our people’s salary, we will process it and respond appropriately.”
Asked what will happen to ASUU members who will show up for enrolment on Monday, the ASUU President said: “We are processing it, as I said, and we will respond appropriately.
“We have our own mechanism for handling that. It is not for the media.”