According to the president of the union, the University Transparency and Accountability Solutions (UTAS) have been approved for usage by the government.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) leadership will meet with Nigerian government officials for the hundredth time on Tuesday to perhaps finalise discussions on the renegotiated 2009 agreement, among other issues.
ASUU has been on strike since February 14 due to the government’s failure to meet its demands for higher salaries and allowances for lecturers, increased university funding, and the use of UTAS rather than the federal government’s preferred payment platform, Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
ASUU’s strike has been in force for 183 days as of Tuesday, sparking outrage among students, parents, and other stakeholders.
On Channels Television’s “Politics Today” on Monday, ASUU President Emmanuel Osodeke said that the University Transparency and Accountability Transparency (UTAS) has been approved for use by the government to replace the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
ASUU established UTAS in response to a complaint that the government’s IPPIS, which was used to pay university employees’ wages, failed to recognise the subtleties of the university system and was plagued with mistakes.
“The issue of IPPIS and UTAS has been put to rest because the test has been completed,” Mr Osodeke mentioned. According to President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, UTAS would be expanded to include all universities.
“It’s great if we go to that meeting tomorrow and the administration says they’re happy to sign whatever we negotiated.”
On Thursday, Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Education, will talk on the status of negotiations with the striking university staff.