The Nigerian government has reached an interim consensus with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over the controversy surrounding the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The university teachers’ union had embarked on a two-week warning strike since Monday over the non-payment of their February salary, which government attributed to the failure to register on the IPPIS platform.
Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Aisha Ahmed recently disclosed that only 55 percent of academics enrolled on the IPPIS.
IPPIS is the government’s accountability software that has been made compulsory for all public institutions, mainly for personnel payroll.
Thursday’s meeting is the first of its kind between both parties since the strike begun.
ASUU had consistently resisted the IPPIS saying it does not cater for its peculiarities.
In place of that, ASUU created the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), which it wanted government to adopt in payments.
At a meeting held at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, representatives of government and the university teachers agreed to integrate the UTAS into the IPPIS.
Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, announced the agreement after a four-hour meeting between both parties.
Mr Ngige said the two parties will reconvene on Monday after the ASUU delegation deliberates with its National Executive Council (NEC).
Also speaking, the National President of ASUU, Biodun Ogunyemi, said the NEC of the union will review the conditions for the integration of UTAS into the IPPIS .
Details of parties the conditions were, however, not revealed to newsmen.
Among government officials present at the meeting were the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajuiba, his counterpart in the ministry of Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo; finance minister, Aisha Ahmed and executive members of ASUU.
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