Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on well-meaning Nigerians to intervene in its on-going face-off with the federal government over the issue of University Transparency Accountability Solutions (UTAS) and IPPIS mode of salary payment to end the strike.
The Nsukka Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Raphael Amokaha, made the call on Friday at a press conference held at the Federal University, Lokoja, after the meeting of the Nsukka Zone of the union which comprises Benue State University, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Federal University Lokoja, Federal University, Wukari, Kogi State University, Anyigba and University of Nigeria Nsukka.
He said the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) was directed by the federal government to carry out integrity test on the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) platform, lamenting that the report submitted by the agency to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, indicated that the UTAS platform failed some fundamental test cases.
“The action of NITDA gave rise to several questions relating to the level of patriotism on the part of the people in charge of NITDA. What are their intentions and what do they want to achieve and why do they want to sacrifice this great nation to achieve selfish objectives,” he said.
The union urged the federal government to wake up to its responsibility and desist from paying lip-service to patriotism and allowing strikes to ravage the nation’s economy.
