ASUU Finally Unveils UTAS As An Alternative To IPPIS

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, on Tuesday, August 18, told the Federal Government that the
University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), which it developed as an alternative to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) is ready for integrity tests.

The national President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said during a press conference held at the Gwagwalada campus of the University of Abuja, that the software for UTAS was unveiled and demonstrated to the Minister of Education and senior management staff of the Ministry of Education, including the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Abdulrasheed Abubakar, on Monday.

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Ogunyemi however maintained that it would not suspend its ongoing strike until the Federal Government honours its 2019 agreements.

“It is our sincere hope that the government would not renege on its promise because the benefits of UTAS to the university system (both public and private) cannot be found in any other software in Nigeria today.

“Now that the union is close to meeting the government’s demand on an alternative to IPPIS, it is our sincere hope that the substantive issues in the ongoing strike action would be given the desired attention,” he said.

He also lamented that the Accountant-General of the Federation is still withholding five months’ salaries of their members at the University of Maiduguri and the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike on account of non-registration of IPPIS.

Ogunyemi added that;

“Thousands of other academics across the Universities are suffering the same fate. So, while we counsel that government at both the federal and state levels must meet the Taskforce specified guidelines for reopening of educational institutions.

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“We insist that all the arrears of the withheld salaries of our members in federal and state Universities must be paid immediately to pave for further discussion on the outstanding issues in the Memorandum of Action of February 7 2019.”