The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said it is ready to call off its ongoing strike as soon as the Federal Government conducts an integrity test on the proposed payroll system, University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
ASUU said that its members are ready to return to the classroom once government shows commitment to implementing contentious issues.
ASUU had opposed enrollment into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). It rather developed the UTAS as a peculiar payment platform for its members.
ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi in an interview with newsmen revealed that while a proposed meeting with government on Monday was cancelled, the body was expecting the government to give clearance to National Information Technology Development Agency to conduct integrity test on UTAS.
He said “The integrity test will be handled by NITDA, it is government that will facilitate it because NITDA is a government agency and unless you get clearance from the government that test cannot be conducted.”
“We are still talking, we have given them the position of our members, we are thinking we should be able to hold a meeting this week if they have not changed plans. The meeting for Monday was postponed. In principal, they have accepted UTAS and told us to go for the test, and on our part, we have started the process,” Ogunyemi said while commenting on readiness of government to adopt UTAS.
He added, “We had presented UTAS at three levels, starting with the Ministry of Education, Senate President and members of his team, officials of Ministry of Finance and Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, where all other stakeholders were present, including NITDA, all stakeholders have witnessed the presentation and the next stage of integrity test is what we are moving in to. If government facilitates it, it is not something that should drag for too long at all. We don’t foresee any problem with UTAS.”
“Our members are ready to resume work as early as government is ready to play its part. I’m sure you are not suggesting that our members should resume on empty stomach or the strike should be suspended without any concrete action on the side of the government. We don’t like to stay away from our work because we like our students, they are also our children.
As far as we are concerned, we don’t have issue with going back to work, but we want more sincerity on the side of government.