As schools in Nigeria announce their reopening dates and release academic calendars, students in various tertiary institutions are left with a lingering question:
Will schools truly reopen for academic activities amidst ongoing strike actions? To understand the current situation, let’s take a closer look at how we arrived here.
The ASUU Strike:
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) initiated an industrial strike action on March 9, 2020, primarily due to their disagreement with the Federal Government over the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The IPPIS issue tops the list of grievances the union has against the government. Interestingly, the strike started even before the full enforcement of the COVID-19 lockdown and has persisted despite the gradual decline of the pandemic.
The ASUP and COEASU:
Following ASUU, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) also threatened to go on strike due to the same IPPIS implementation concerns.
Though the union suspended its planned strike action earlier due to COVID-19 concerns, it has yet to reach an agreement with the government.
Similarly, the College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has expressed its intent to embark on an industrial action over issues such as delayed salaries and the IPPIS implementation.
Other Unions’ Actions:
Beyond ASUU, other union bodies in tertiary institutions, such as the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), went on a two-week strike action starting from October 5th.
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) also issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government regarding payment issues.
Understanding IPPIS:
The Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) is a centralized payroll platform implemented by the Federal Government.
It assists in budget planning, managing payroll, and ensuring transparent disbursement of salaries. Notably, various entities, including judges, ministries, the military, and even the President, are paid through IPPIS.
According to the Accountant-General of Nigeria, IPPIS has saved over two hundred billion Naira by curbing costs and detecting ghost workers. However, the tertiary institutions’ unions have resisted joining the system.
Reasons for Resistance: Tertiary institutions’ unions, particularly ASUU, argue that IPPIS cannot accommodate their specific requirements, such as sabbatical leaves, part-time programs, visitations, and staffing of new programs.
This is why they are reluctant to adopt IPPIS and have thereby hindered the reopening of schools.
The Current Standoff:
President Buhari reiterated during the national budget presentation that only staff on the IPPIS program would receive salaries.
However, ASUU remains steadfast in their opposition to joining IPPIS. Even the other unions that initially embraced IPPIS are now expressing regret and dissatisfaction, citing salary shortages or no salaries at all.
ASUU has proposed their payment system, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), but has yet to reach a consensus with the Federal Government on either replacing IPPIS with UTAS or merging the two platforms.
Uncertain Resumption:
As a result of these ongoing disputes, universities that have announced resumption dates, such as Lagos State University (LASU) and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (COOU), are yet to resume academic activities.
Even institutions that have fixed resumption dates are unsure about their ability to follow through, as seen with Taraba State University (TASU).
Conclusion
Nigerian students find themselves caught in the middle, unsure who to hold responsible for the impending strike actions or those yet to come – the Federal Government or the lecturers?
Ultimately, the fate of school reopening and the resumption of academic activities rests on the acceptance of IPPIS by ASUU and other related unions, or the Federal Government’s willingness to consider their plea and find a resolution.