Tina Amanda
A Political Analyst in Rivers state, Dr Kenneth Nweke says the warning strike action embarked by Academic Staff Union of Universities is not the best way to resolve the integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) issue.
Dr Nweke who is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, told our correspondent Tina Amanda in an interview that the federal government needs to involve a payment system that meets the nature of ASUU academic payment system.
He opined that the federal government can still use same academic payment system to devise better ways of accommodating their fears on securing certain linkage of funds.
“This issue between the federal government and ASUU would have been resolved earlier than now because ASUU insisting that they will not enroll their members in IPPIS appears to be daring their employer and the federal government also insisting that ASUU should be paid through that system means that the federal government is not sensitive to the plight of ASUU or the nature of our academic system which ASUU has raised over time.
“It should have been a win-win situation rather than a war-war situation, where it should have been involving a new system that will not actually be same with what is obtainable in the ministries or agencies. By so doing, the lingering issues will be resolved. Federal government can still secure their fears of losing money in the hands of ASUU”
He urged ASUU and the federal government to dialogue and modify how to operate, adding that shutting down the universities will cause students and parents more suffering.
“Shutting down the University system is not the best way to handle this matter. Instead of striking, ASUU should sit with the federal government and come up with modifications that will allow the autonomy universities ought to enjoy. All around the world, University system is autonomous.
“The two parties should take certain peculiarities of the system into consideration, while designing the software for the payment system. That is the best way to go, rather than shut down the entire University system”
