• UTAS lacks tax deduction, we are able to’t pay with out deducting tax, declares Federal Govt
• Training ministry incorrect, UTAS deducts tax, it encompasses every thing, says ASUU
The Federal Authorities on Tuesday denied allegations that it had breached agreements it reached with the Educational Workers Union of Universities.
The Spokesman for the Ministry of Training, Ben Gong, who acknowledged this in an interview with The PUNCH in Abuja, additionally defined why the Federal Authorities couldn’t undertake the College Transparency and Accountability Answer, a fee platform developed by ASUU.
In line with him, UTAS doesn’t make provision for tax deduction from salaries. He added that ASUU members can’t gather salaries with out paying taxes.
Recall that the President of ASUU, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, in an interview with The PUNCH on Monday, accused the Federal Authorities of violating agreements it reached with the lecturers earlier than they known as off their strike on December 24, 2020.
He particularly accused authorities of not paying the earned educational allowances as contained within the agreements.
He additionally faulted what he known as the selective fee of salaries to ASUU members, saying professors in some establishments obtained N80,000 in June and senior lecturers received N25,000.
Osodeke mentioned the union had been proved proper in its opposition to the IPPIS. He mentioned in June, various lecturers in Nigerian universities obtained completely different salaries.
However Gong, within the interview with The PUNCH, challenged the union to be extra particular in its allegations that authorities had violated agreements.
He mentioned the ministry was making ready an official letter to hunt clarifications from ASUU over its current pronouncements.
Gong acknowledged, “Allow them to (ASUU) be particular on their accusations. Allow them to state the elements of the agreements which haven’t been met.
“Allow them to additionally point out the ministries liable for not assembly the agreements.
“For instance, if we are saying we need to pay them this sum of money, is it not the ministry of finance who will do the fee?
“For the UTAS platform, there is no such thing as a provision on that platform for tax deduction. How do you pay somebody’s wage with out tax deductions? Allow them to record their points.
“After we noticed the publications (by ASUU). We wrote to the everlasting secretary to inform him of the allegations by ASUU and we pleaded with him to inform the Chairman (Govt Secretary) of the Nationwide Universities Fee to launch an inquiry.”
In addition to the problem of fee, ASUU additionally accused the Federal Authorities of appointing non-graduates into the governing boards of universities.
Responding to this, Gong acknowledged, “The everlasting secretary has directed {that a} letter be written to ASUU. This was what the everlasting secretary mentioned, ‘Write to the ASUU president to point these he claimed usually are not graduates among the many members of governing council for additional investigations.’ I’m already writing the publication.”
ASUU, just a few day in the past, issued a contemporary strike discover to push for the fee of excellent allowances and adoption of UTAS for the fee of lecturers’ salaries, as a substitute of the Built-in Payroll and Personnel Info System.
Recall that in March 2020, ASUU launched into a strike following its disagreement with the Federal Authorities over the funding of the schools and implementation of the IPPIS.
ASUU, nevertheless, developed UTAS and had a number of conferences with the ministries of Finance, Training, Labour and Employment, and the Workplace of the Accountant Basic of the Federation.
Authorities agreed to pay excellent salaries to the college lecturers and resolve all different points which ASUU raised.
Earlier than calling off its strike final 12 months, ASUU insisted that its members wouldn’t register the IPPIS.
In response, the Minister of Labour and Employment , Dr Chris Ngige, mentioned the UTAS platform would first be subjected to an integrity check.
The Nationwide Info Know-how Improvement Company is saddled with the accountability of subjecting the UTAS platform to an integrity check.
When contacted on Tuesday, Spokesperson for the NITDA, Hadiza Umar, mentioned, “I should not have any replace on it for the time being, I’ll contact the workforce tomorrow.”
When contacted, Spokesman for the Ministry of Finance, Finances and Planning, Yunusa Abdullahi, mentioned, “I suppose it is best to direct your inquiry to the Ministry of Training. Thanks.”
FG but to fulfill any of our agreements – ASUU
Responding to Gong’s assertion, ASUU insisted that not one of the settlement it reached with the Federal Authorities had have been applied.
Talking in an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday, the President of ASUU, Osodeke, maintained that the Memorandum of Understanding which was signed with the Federal Authorities in December 2020, had not been applied.
Osodeke denied the allegations which Gong made in opposition to UTAS and the opposite points he raised.
Training ministry incorrect, UTAS deducts tax, it encompasses every thing, ASUU insists
He mentioned, “He talks with out consulting his principals. In the event you name the Minister for Training he won’t say all these. Was he there when UTAS was examined for him to say it doesn’t deduct tax? UTAS has handed via many phases. All of the ministries the place we offered UTAS, applauded it. UTAS deducts tax. The Nationwide Meeting applauded it. It was additionally offered on the workplace of the AGF. UTAS encompasses every thing you may discuss in a college, not nearly salaries alone, even human sources. He doesn’t know what he’s speaking about. If you wish to know the actual particulars of what’s occurring contact the Govt Secretary of Nationwide Universities Fee, ministers of Training and Labour. All of them have a replica of the MoU we signed in December.
FG but to pay our members – Union
“They know that UTAS, which is the main one has not been applied. The revitalisation fund has not been launched. They agreed that they’d mainstream our earned educational allowances into the wage system in 2021. We’re in August already and making ready 2022 funds, but nothing has been finished. They mentioned by December they’d pay the backlog they’re owing our members and until now they haven’t paid various them.
“They agreed that they’d evaluation the NUC regulation to make sure that no authorities would get up in the future and be proliferating universities, they haven’t gone to the Nationwide Meeting. “
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