Success Nwanedo
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Port Harcourt Chapter, has expressed readiness to resume a strike action should the Federal Government fail to uphold the Memorandum of Action it signed with the Union.
During its Congress held at the ASUU Secretariat, Delta Park Campus, on Tuesday, the Uniport ASUU Chairman, Comrade Uzoma Darlington Chima, said the decision to resume the suspended strike action is to move the Government to implement the agreement it entered with the union in 2020.
“It is quite disheartening to note that, the Government outrightly disregarded concerted effort made by different stakeholders including Students Union Bodies, Civil Society Organizations, Religious and Opinion leaders and other patriotic Nigerians who had persuaded Government to address all outstanding issues in the 2020 MoA.”
The agreement includes the signing/implementation of the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement, the replacement of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) with the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), among others.
He said the introduction of IPPIS has badly affected the finances of lecturers as they are paid inconsistent sums as salaries.
According to him, “The recent report published by the Auditor-General of the Federation exposed the loopholes and fraud associated with the IPPIS, which underscore the need for the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), a more robust Payment System which our Union developed for the University System, free of charge.”
