ASUU and Nigerian Government Clash Over Salary Payment and University Governance
Last year, the government announced the exemption of federal-owned tertiary institutions from the Integrated Personnel Payment System (IPPIS). However, five months into President Bola Tinubu’s administration, this policy has yet to be implemented
AKACHI NOEL 
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Nigerian federal government are poised for another confrontation over the implementation of a salary payment platform and the establishment of new governing councils for universities.
Last year, the government announced the exemption of federal-owned tertiary institutions from the Integrated Personnel Payment System (IPPIS). However, five months into President Bola Tinubu’s administration, this policy has yet to be implemented. Instead, the government is planning to pay lecturers through the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS), sidelining ASUU's proposed University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
READ ALSO:100 Undergraduates Awarded N60m Scholarship by WACT, Onne
Lecturers at various institutions, including the University of Abuja, confirmed that salaries are still being processed through IPPIS, albeit with a nominal change to "new IPPIS."
ASUU representatives, including the University of Nigeria, Nsukka branch chairperson, Comrade Nobert Oyibo Eze, confirmed that no changes have been made to the payment system despite the government's previous announcements. This unresolved issue was a significant factor in the eight-month strike in 2022, with ASUU accusing the government of undermining university autonomy and mismanaging staff salaries.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU:Pure Water Seller With Stellar JAMB Score Earns University Scholarship
At the University of Jos, ASUU members protested, calling for the immediate removal of IPPIS, the reinstatement of governing councils, and the fulfillment of other demands, including the release of the Revitalisation Fund and payment of excluded salaries. The union insists on the government honoring the agreements reached over the years.
