With the promise of enhancing the payment platform to better suit the demands of the lecturers, the federal government has pleaded with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to accept the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
Sylvia Okolieaboh, the Accountant General of the Federation, made the appeal on Thursday in the House of Representatives during a meeting between the union and the federal government.
Recall that to terminate the more than seven-month strike, House Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila requested an extended meeting of all stakeholders in the education sector last week.
In an effort to put a stop to the strike, the Accountant General stated that the government will work with the union on the subject of salaries.
He stated that the government is worried about the consequences of granting ASUU access to a unique payment platform from other organisations.
“If there are peculiarities in the university salaries system, what we need to do is to sit down with ASUU and identify them and address them in IPPIS. We are willing to accept.”
This is the third meeting the House of Representatives has mediated, and like many others, there was no progress made.
Folashade Esan, the head of service, Chris Ngige, the minister of labour and employment, and Emmanuel Osodeke, the president of ASUU, were also there.
Mr. Gbajabiamila stated in his concluding remarks that he will assemble all of the proposals and provide them to President Muhammadu Buhari as a single report.
He stated that “We are appealing to you, the Judiciary has spoken, the Executive has spoken, the Legislature is about to speak together with the Executive; everybody cannot be wrong and only one person is right. For me I’m happy with the solution on UTAS, no victor, no vanquished, everybody is being carried along.
“For the sake of emphasis, the House is pleading with you, let’s put all interest aside and look at the interest of our children.”
