By Joan Nwagwu
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has commended the Federal Government for the exemption of all tertiary institutions from the the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
Mr Mohammed Ibrahim, National President of SSANU, said this in a communique issued on Monday in Abuja.
The communique was issued at the end of the 46th National Executive Council (NEC) of the association held in Federal University of Technology, Mina, Niger state.
According to Ibrahim, NEC in session commended the Federal Government on the removal of universities and other tertiary institutions from IPPIS.
“NEC, however, encourages government to critically consult Management of Universities and labour unions on workable, reliable, seamless and acceptable approach.
“This is in transiting to the new regime in order to capture the peculiarities of university workers.
“This is with a view to forestalling the complicated problems that plagued the use of IPPIS.
“NEC, therefore, urges the government to consider improving the old system with some latest features in the University Peculiar Personnel and Payroll System, (U3PS) payment solution,” he said.
He also said NEC acknowledged the approval by the government to pay the four months salaries of its members withheld as a result of the last industrial action embarked upon by the union.
He, therefore, urged the government to pay the money without further delay as it was already losing confidence of its members in government.
The SSANU president, however, demanded for the implementation of the 25 and 35 per cent wage increase for university workers which had been captured in the budget before the end of 2023.
Ibrahim added that NEC urges the federal government to commence payment of the outstanding arrears of October and November 2023 salaries forthwith.
“NEC in session also observed that some of its members are yet to be paid arrears of the National Minimum Wage, which was approved in 2018 despite the efforts of the Union.
“NEC calls on the government to, as a matter of urgency, release funds for payment for those omitted universities,” he said.
He said the omitted universities include
Federal University ,Otuoke, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Federal University, Dutsima.
Others were the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Federal University, Gashua, Yobe, Federal University Kashere, and the University of Maiduguri, among others. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)