FG assures ASUU strike ends soon, denies planning different payment platform

The Federal Government on Wednesday distanced itself from reports that it was contemplating a different payment platform for the various trade unions in tertiary institutions.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had insisted on the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) it created, claiming that the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) was short changing the teachers.

The government in March said UTAS has failed three integrity tests.

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions (NASU) had also Universities Peculiar Personnel Payroll System (UPPPS), as their own payment platform.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, responding to questions from newsmen after the Federal Executive Council meeting (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja, assured that efforts were ongoing to resolve the faceoff between it and ASUU and other university based unions over payment platforms soon.

He said contrary to insinuations that the government had ignored ASUU, there have actually been series of meetings between all parties with the next one coming up on Thursday.