ASUU to Buhari: We were not the ones who stole N100b through IPPIS

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has reacted to the allegation by President Muhammadu Buhari that the education system in the country remains corrupt with ASUU a part of it.

Buhari said this on Tuesday at a summit by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission.

He spoke during the 4th National Summit on Diminishing Corruption in the Public Sector, held at the State House Conference Centre, Aso Rock.

He alleged that corruption undermines educational policies, investments and creates an unfriendly learning environment for young people.

“Incessant strikes, especially by unions in the tertiary education sector, often imply that government is grossly underfunding education, but I must say that corruption in the education system from basic level to the tertiary level has been undermining our investment in the sector, and those who go on prolonged strikes on flimsy reasons are no less complicit,” he said.

Reacting to the statement by the President, the President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, said that was why the union had been championing transparency in the education sector.

Osodeke also said that the reason for the call by the union for the use of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution as the payment platform in the university system was premised on that.

He said the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System in use by the Federal Government was susceptible to corrupt practices.

He said: “As a union, we have been championing transparency and accountability in the university system.

“That is why we are calling for the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution as the payment platform in the university system.

“Those indicted for misappropriating over N100 billion through their IPPIS, are they our members?

“Moreover, one of our demands is that Visitation Panels be set up to probe the activities and the finances of universities in the country.

“If we don’t want corruption stamped out, we would not be asking for that.”