Staff of Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM), under the Joint Action Congress (JAC) has embarked on a protest against the introduction of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) to its University.
The staff who described the policy as a scam said it has done more harm than good to both staff and retired members of the university.
The staff who embarked on a three-day peaceful protest beginning from Tuesday, to register their grievances bore placards as they positioned themselves at the school gate, to press home their demands.
Conducting themselves very peacefully, the protesters had placards with inscriptions such as “Return positions of Non Teaching Staff back to them”, “IPPIS is a scam,” “Enough is Enough,” Return our Monthly Allowances Back to our Salaries”, “Pay JAC its N120 billion EA Now.”
Others are “2009 Agreement is long over due for Review”, “Pay us our Minimum Wages Arrears Now, “Pay us our entitlement now and Pay our retired members their benefit now,” “we are not Slaves,” among others.
The protesting staff also demand that government honour the 2009 agreement which is now over due for review, while also demanding the payment of minimum wage arrears, their entitlement, and benefit of retired members among others.
Speaking during the protest, the JAC acting chairman Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Mr. Moses Girgi, expressed worries that since the introduction of IPPIS it has been from one problem to the other as many staff are being owed months of allowances, salaries as well as difficulty in accessing other payments.
Mr. Girgi who also doubles as NASU chairman said there have been irreconcilable inconsistencies created by IPPIS where allowances and benefit have been stopped.
He urged government to find ways to address the issues and rectify them.
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Girgi also said “we are sufficiently aware that so many of our colleagues from other federal government units, parastatals, agency have benefited from the minimum wage while they are yet to receive with all the promises.”
JAC which comprises members of Non Academic Staff Union of Universities and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities says this protest is a directive from the national body over failure of government to pay minimum wage signed into law in 2019 and failure of government to renegotiate 2009 agreement since 2012.
“All the promises are without results, the attitude of government over our demand long ago and today we are still empty handed, which calls for worries, he said.
Meanwhile, on the suspension of University resumption date, which was scheduled for January 18, 2021, by the Federal government, the Vice Chancellor, FUAM, Professor Richard Kimbi, said the institution would comply despite putting machinery in motion for resumption.
