The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has directed its members in branches where June salaries remain unpaid to stay away from work, warning that a nationwide strike could commence if the government continues to delay wage payments.

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, Chris Piwuna, ASUU President, clarified that the union is not currently on an indefinite strike, contrary to what is reported online.

However, Mr Piwuna said the union is prepared to escalate its action if the federal government fails to pay lecturers’ July salaries by the end of the month.

“This is not an indefinite strike. We have told our members to go by the ‘no pay, no work’ policy. If salaries are not paid by the end of July, we will stop work again. It’s that simple,” Mr Piwuna said.

The directive currently affects university branches where salaries for June have not been paid.

Mr Piwuna confirmed that some branches, such as the University of Abuja, have resumed academic activities after receiving their delayed June payments.

“Those who commenced the strike and their salaries have been paid are back to work. At least I can confirm to you that the University of Jos is back to work,” he said.

“Also, UniAbuja is not on strike because their salaries were paid yesterday. And many others across the country that their salaries have been paid. But all those who are being owed June salary are not at work.”

He added that due to the delayed salaries, their members have been unable to carry out their duties as lecturers.

Mr Piwuna added that the salary delays began after ASUU pulled out of the federal government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

He also accused the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation of deliberately withholding payments.

“We are saying that since we left the IPPIS, our salaries have deliberately been delayed by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

“That’s why we’re embarking on this action. It’s not an indefinite action. Just if at the end of July our salaries are not paid again, we would again stop work.”

He added that the current work stoppage is solely related to unpaid salaries and warned that the government’s continued failure to meet its obligations could trigger another action.

The union’s long standing opposition to IPPIS stems from its argument that the centralised payment system violates university autonomy and fails to accommodate the peculiarities of academic work.

The Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) was launched in 2006 and designed to centralise and standardise the payment of federal civil servants in Nigeria

ASUU had consistently pushed back against the platform, especially during the 2020 and 2022 industrial actions, advocating instead for an alternative model tailored to universities.

The disagreement escalated during the union’s eight-month nationwide strike in 2022. Throughout that period, from February to October, ASUU intensified its campaign to exit IPPIS, claiming the system undermined university governance and financial independence.

The government responded by withholding salaries for the strike period, leading to a standoff that remains unresolved for many members.

However, in December 2023, the Federal Executive Council approved the removal of universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education from IPPIS.

This decision formally granted ASUU’s request to use the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), a payment platform the union argues provides greater flexibility.