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 ensure that the new salary payment system for workers in Nigerian universities avoids loopholes and alleged corruption associated with the Integrated Personnel and Payment Information System (IPPIS).

This is part of the resolutions the union adopted at the regular meeting of the Universities and Inter-University Centres Trade Group Council held at the Akwa-Ibom State University.

The call follows the decision of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting of December 13, 2023, at which federal tertiary institutions were exempted from the IPPIS payment platform.

The communique, which was signed by the deputy president of NASU, who doubles as 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 read in part: “Council noted that NASU has always been at the forefront of the clamour for the abrogation of the IPPIS platform and the union has already passed a vote of no confidence on the platform several times since the payment platform has failed to correct some of the noticeable anomalies in the platform.

“Council has reviewed the activities of IPPIS and therefore draws the attention of the Federal Government to the fact that the new proposed payment platform should deal with all the noticeable shortcomings, loopholes and fraud associated with IPPIS.

“Council expressed its appreciation to the Federal Government for the decision and urged that the new payment platform should take on board the gains of IPPIS, be credible and transparent for payments of the members’ salaries, entitlements, Union dues, and third-party deductions in Universities and Inter-University Centres.”

On the withheld four months’ salaries by the government, NASU noted that the strike that lasted for four months in 2022 was forced on the unions by the government and that it would be a double jeopardy on the part of the workers to be punished for an action that was not their fault.

“The Council-in-Session noted that the prolonged strike action in the year 2022 that lasted for months in our Universities and Inter-University Centres was foisted on us by the Federal Government’s insensitivity and lack of commitment to agreements reached with the unions.

“Council frowned and condemned in totality the policy of ‘no work, no pay’ imposed on NASU members in the Federal Universities and Inter-University Centres as it is not only anti-union but also regressive in nature, since NASU fulfilled all the necessary provisions in the law before embarking on the strike hence should not be punished unjustly,” it said.

However, while the union said it appreciates the waiver granted on ‘no work, no pay’ by President Bola Tinubu in October 2023, it is saddened about the injustice meted to the non-teaching staffers by leaving them out of the payment released to their academic counterparts despite the ‘no victimization’ clause signed with the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU in the agreement reached on the suspension of the strike on 20th August 2022.

It added: “Council is shocked that despite the protest letter sent to the Federal Government, several meetings with Government officials and the seven-day warning strike that was observed in almost all the Universities and Inter-University Centres, the Government has refused to pay NASU members the four months withheld salaries.”

NASU stated that it may consider embarking on a fresh strike if its members are not paid, saying, “Council, therefore, resolved that if the Federal Government fails to pay the withheld four months’ salaries immediately, the union may be forced to embark on indefinite strike action in our Universities and Inter-University Centres.”

The union also lamented the non-payment of staff salaries and the deterioration of learning and hostel facilities in the state-owned institutions. According to NASU, some states are yet to fully implement the 2019 national minimum wage as well as implement the 2023 wage award as approved by the Federal Government, saying, “Council therefore calls on State Governors that have not implemented the Year 2019 national minimum wage, FGN/NASU 2009 agreement and wage award to do so without further delay to avoid the looming industrial unrest in their university campuses.”

NASU also frowned at the act of some managements of universities and inter-university centres that automatically migrate senior staff members of NASU to other unions without their consent.

While condemning such action, the union called on managements that are culpable to desist from such acts as NASU will not hesitate to take appropriate steps against such managements adding that it has jurisdictional scope that covers both junior and senior non-academic staff.

On the habit of some of its members not attending meetings, the trade union group said the attendance of meetings is mandatory for all eligible members and branches.