University of Ibadan (UI) Chapter of The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has strongly condemned the Federal Government for forcefully migrating its members to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
It would be recalled that members of ASUU in the Premier University are divided over IPPIS as Primestarnews reliably gathered that some lecturers registered under the platform.
Investigations revealed that many lecturers in the main campus and University College Hospital (UCH) of the institution have registered under IPPIS. About 20 lecturers from different departments in different faculties anonymously confirmed their registration under IPPIS.
According to a mail addressed to all lecturers titled, “Our current struggle and the supposed payment of withheld salaries”, dated Sunday May 10, 2020 and signed by UI ASUU Chairman, Professor Ayo Akinwole, the union’s leadership unanimously rejected the payment of their members’ salaries through IPPIS.
“February and March 2020 salaries have supposedly been paid through the rejected IPPIS platform. The National secretariat of the Union is already working on detailed information about the payment. Members will be communicated immediately we receive update from the National secretariat. However, members are advised to be prudent as the current struggle is far from being over. Our current struggle is far beyond IPPIS or withheld salaries”, the statement stated.
The Union further condemned the government for various discrepancies in the salaries of February and March just paid, claiming that the government grossly surcharged the lecturers.
Of bitterness to the Union is the failure of the government to deduct some levies from their members and remit them into the union accounts saying, “The ASUU–UI Special Welfare Scheme” (a.k.a. the End Well Scheme), “ASUU-UI, Building Levies” as well as contributions for cooperative societies have not been deducted from the salaries paid. Members should therefore make physical remittances of these undeducted dues, levies and contributions to the appropriate accounts”.
Directing members to remit building levy into a Polaris Bank Plc, the Union charged those on the professorial cadre to pay N5, 000, Senior Lecturers, N4, 000, Lecturer 1, N3, 000 and Lecturers on grade level 2 and Assistant lecturers to pay N2, 000.
The Union explained, “For the avoidance of doubt, the ASUU-UI Building Levy is as follows: professorial cadre, N5000; S/L, N4000; LI, N3000 and; L2& AL, N2000. Remittances for ASUU-UI (Building Levy and Special Welfare Scheme), should be made using the bank details below…. On payment, members should bring the tellers to the ASUU-UI Branch Office at Mellanby Hall for submission to the Financial Secretary…. Members should pay their monthly deductions to the bank accounts already given by the respective cooperative societies”.
The Union leadership reminded the members that the on-going strike action embarked upon is indefinite, total and comprehensive warning, “No teaching, no examination and no attendance of statutory meetings (whether physical or electronic) of any kind (senate, council, college, faculty/departmental boards, committees etc.). Members are to be vigilant of some actions that can jeopardise our struggle and therefore break our resolution. Members are to seek clarifications about any message emanating from any quarter asking us to act in such a way that will undermine our current struggle”.
