For the first time in 20 years of uninterrupted academic calendar, the University of Ilorin’s Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU chapter joined the two weeks warning strike declared by the national body over the IPPIS controversy.
DAILY POST reports that consequently, academic activities have been paralysed at the main campus of the institution due to the strike by the union over the refusal by the federal government to pay the February salaries of the university teachers.
The Federal government hinged the delay in payment of salaries in the failure of teachers to enroll for the integrated payroll and personnel information system (IPPIS) for workers under its workforce.
At the end of its meeting in Enugu weekend, the national body of ASUU, directed the teachers in all public universities to embark on a two-week warning strike to force the Federal government to back down on its decision on payment of February salaries.
DAILY POST reports that the UNILORIN chapter of ASUU, joined the strike action when the 100 and 200 level students of the institution were still sitting for the first semester examination of 2019/2020 academic calendar.
It was gathered that the university authorities had directed that the ongoing examination be suspended until the strike is called off.
Chairman UNILORIN ASUU, Professor Moyosore Saliu Ajao, said the chapter under his watch had fully complied with the directive of the national executive of the union on the warning strike.
He described the IPPIS issue as a distraction which the government capitalized on as a cover up for its failure to honour the memorandum of agreement reached with ASUU in 2019.
Ajao described the strike action as unfortunate for students and pleaded with them and parents to reason with the union.
“It is unfortunate that UNILORIN will be going on strike for the first time in about 20 years but nothing lasts forever. We are welcome back to reality of life. For us, not going on strike as lecturers of UNILORIN, has it really benefited us?,” the union leader added.
