The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has welcome the February and March 2020 salary approval by the Federal Government, but insisted that the gesture should not be used as a ploy to forcefully enrol its members into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) which it earlier rejected over fear that it will erode the autonomy of Universities.

Prof. Monday Igbafen, Chairman, ASUU, Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Edo State deopped the hint on Wednesday during a chat with our Correspondent in Benin City.

The salaries were withheld salaries of lecturers in Federal Universities yet to enrol into the scheme introduced by the Federal Government as part of measures to weed-out corruption in education system.

On Tuesday, the minister of Labour and Employment, Mr Chris Ngige conveyed President Muhammadu Buhari approval of the salaries in a statement signed by his new media aide, Emmanuel Nzomiwu, four months after the Federal Government stopped the University lecturers salaries after they refused to enrol in the IPPIS.

According to Prof. Igbafen, “Well, it is good. But, it should not be a ploy to forcefully enrol our members into IPPIS.

“It is just one out of many issues that ASUU had presented to the government that have not been resolved.

“It is a step forward for us to have another meaningful engagement with the government”, he said.

Ngige said Buhari also directed the Minister of Finance, Budget and Planning, and the Accountant General of the Federation, to effect the directive.

The payment, according to him, will cushion the effects of coronavirus on lecturers and their dependents.

Ngige declared that Vice Chancellors have been asked to revalidate the affected lecturers Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) and forward to the Accountant General of the Federation for the payments.

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