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Sakeenah Kareem
The College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has tagged the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System payment platform,(IPPIS), a ‘devilish’, noting that they are full of fraudulent acts.
The union noted that the platform had dubiously deprived its members of their entitlement using different tactics.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the union on Tuesday, embarked on a one-month warning strike to express their grievances.
Speaking with PLATFORM TIMES, the chairman of the COEASU Oyo state chapter, Dr Mathias Oluwo, said the union had embarked on the strike because of the government’s ‘lackadaisical attitude’ towards their demands.
The chairman emphasized that Union had openly declared that they no longer want the IPPIS platform, adding that they are now opting for the University Transparency Accountability System UTAS, a platform developed by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
He said, “the IPPIS is a saved means of siphoning money on the part of the government. The union has decided to place a premium on UTAS for our payment instead of the IPPIS which is full of error and crisis.”
“Our systems are underfunded and the resources incurred will determine the level of output. There is insincerity on the part of the government and the worker’s welfare is nothing to write home about. We have explored all means to make sure government meet our demands but what is at the peak of their mind is the impending strike.”
When asked If the strike would be fruitful, Oluwo said “we are extremely determined that our demands would be met by the government. This is election period and whatever we did not ask now, I don’t think we can clamour for it again in the nearest future.”
In the same vien, the Chairman of COEASU, Ogun state chapter, Dr Oni Oluwakemi, who also doubled as the union’s South-west zonal secretary, also confirmed to PLATFORM TIMES that the union has agreed to adopt UTAS.
Dr Oluwo disclosed that the union had highlighted renegotiation of the salary scale, revitalization funds and the payment platform as the forerunner of the just-launched strike.
I am 100% optimistic this strike will work. We are training the trainers and we don’t want a setback for the student and the society. It is just that they have pushed us to the wall and we are tired of empty promises.”, Oni said.
She said,, ” we don’t want them to pay our salary using the IPPIS platform again. The IPPIS is a devil platform. We have found out about UTAS and we have concluded that it is a platform of integrity and that is why our union also want o key into it.”
“Enough is Enough. Sometimes, some of us are underpaid and some will not be paid at all. Our educational sector is peculiar and should be respected by the government.”
