There were strong indications that students of public universities in the country would stay at home further as the Academic Staff Union of Universities dismissed the Federal Government’ s directive that all educational institutions should resume on Monday next week .

The National President of ASUU , Prof Biodun Ogunyemi , in a telephone interview with newsmen , said the Federal Government was not sincere about negotiations with the union , adding that lecturers would not resume on an empty stomach .

Ogunyemi specifically took a swipe at the Accountant General of the Federation , Mr Ahmed Idris , for violating a directive of the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd . ) , that lecturers ’ salaries should be paid.
He hinted that Nigerians should be ready for a long- drawn strike in universities with the way government was handling negotiations .

Also , the Non – Academic Staff Union said the Federal Government’ s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System was not transparent , saying many of its members were being cheated.

Both NASU and the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities began a 14 – day warning strike over the adoption of the IPPIS in universities and non -payment of minimum wage to their members .

The Minister of Education Adamu Adamu , had, at a media briefing in Abuja on Friday , said government had approved the reopening of educational institutions beginning from Monday , October 12 .

Recall that all educational institutions in the country were shut in March following the outbreak of COVID- 19 .

But before March , the Federal Government and ASUU had been at loggerheads over the IPPIS, which the later said should not be adopted in universities because it would violate their autonomy .

Buhari , during the presentation of the 2020 budget in October last year , ordered ministries, departments and agencies to migrate to the IPPIS as part of efforts to check fraud.

On March 23 , ASUU began an indefinite strike to force the Federal Government to implement its agreements with lecturers and protest against the IPPIS .

Responding to a question on when the strike would end, Ogunyemi stated , “ You can ’ t expect people to go back to their offices on an empty stomach . You don ’ t expect my members to suspend this action when their demands have not been met . It is a very clear decision that anybody will make in this circumstance . ”

He said that on August 18 , ASUU wrote the Federal Government, stating that it was ready to demonstrate its University Transparency Accountability Solution , which it designed as alternative to the IPPIS .

Punch