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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may embark on another round of industrial action if the Federal Government fails to release its members' promotion arrears.
Following the union’s National Executive Council meeting at the University of Maiduguri, the NEC demanded the release of outstanding promotion arrears the government owed its members “in the interest of industrial peace and harmony.”
In a statement released on Thursday, August 24, 2023, ASUU condemned the employment racketeering allegedly perpetrated through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.
The union said despite several efforts by its members to prevail on the government to address the issue, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation has failed to do so.
The statement reads, “NEC noted with serious concern that ASUU members are currently owed several months of promotion arrears arising from distortions traceable to the forceful enrollment of academics on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information platform.
“NEC observed that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation has failed to address the issue despite several efforts by the union and university administrations.
“Consequently, ASUU calls on the OAGF to ensure the immediate release of the backlog of promotion arrears to our members in the interest of industrial peace and harmony.
“NEC was disturbed by reports of massive employment racketeering perpetuated by operators of the discredited IPPIS, including scandalous revelations at the recent sittings of House of Representatives’ Probe Panel on IPPIS. NEC observed that the unsavoury trend has eroded university employment tradition in violation of the provisions of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2003, and Guidelines for Appointments and Promotions of individual universities.
The union also rejected all "illegal appointments" sponsored by the IPPIS and its agents in Nigerian public universities.