The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may go on strike again if the government doesn’t release promotion arrears owed to its members.
The union, following a meeting of it National Executive Council at the University of Maiduguri, demanded that the government release the promotion arrears owed to its members “in the interest of industrial peace and harmony.”
In a statement released on Thursday morning, the union lamented that 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.
It further criticized what it described as “employment racketeering” through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, arguing that this was undermining the integrity of the academic system.
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.”