Tension seems to be brewing as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is poised for a showdown with the federal government over planned imposition of Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPIS) on its members.
It was learnt that the leaders of the union had summoned an emergency National Executive Council where it was agreed that the leadership of the union at chapter level should begin mobilisation of members for an action against the Muhammadu Buhari-led government.
The present administration had reportedly directed that any worker not on the IPPIS would no longer receive salary.
ASUU Chairman, University of Ibadan chapter, Prof. Deji Omole, while speaking with journalists in Ibadan yesterday, said the union was not against accountability but would resist attempt by the government to violate existing laws and autonomy of the university.
He disclosed that ASUU has offered to help the federal government design the appropriate template that would factor in the peculiarities of university lecturers in the IPPIS but the government seemed bent on using the World Bank-designed exploitative template.
The ASUU boss added that the template designed by government planned to enslave intellectuals as it did not make provisions for payment of arrears of promotion, study leave allowance, responsibility allowance, among others.
According to him, the federal government template was designed to phase out university lecturers who are above 60 years which was against the new policy where professors retire at 70 years.