The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has refused to be persuaded to enrol its members on the Integrated Payment and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) for salaries payment.
President Buhari, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, had called on the university lecturers to embrace IPPIS with the promise to increase funding for universities to enable them deliver quality graduates with credible certificates.
“The future of the country depends on quality education and our certificates must be credible to inspire confidence,’’ he said.
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But ASUU voiced its rejection of IPPS when it met the president, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu as well as that of Labour and Employment , Chris Ngige, at the State House on Thursday.
Speaking at the meeting, finance minister Zainab Ahmed said out of the 137,016 academic and non-academic staff members of the universities, 96,090 have been enrolled in the IPPS.
Ahmed urged the remaining 40,926 members to comply with the process and eroll on the payment system.
She said many anomalies were discovered in the university structures that had contributed to the increased cost burden in the universities, giving the instance of lecturers who work and earn salaries in more than one university.
“While it is clear that ASUU has peculiarities, it should be recognised and rightly accommodated, and the allowances will be made, and not leaving the university out of IPPIS because of the peculiarities,’’ she added.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, also urged ASUU to comply with IPPIS in national interest.