President Muhammadu Buhari has called on the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to rescind its decision on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and the 14-day warning strike .
Buhari made the call in a message to the 14th convocation of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) in Awka on Thursday.
The president, whose address was read by Prof. Rasheed Abubakar, the Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), said that the IPPIS was in their own best interest.
According to him, the IPPIS was not intended to trample upon university autonomy nor was it designed to subsume universities into the civil service.
He urged them to suspend the warning strike in the interest of students and generality of Nigerians.
Buhari congratulated graduates of the university and urged them to use their skills to contribute their quota to national development.
He also congratulated two Anambra business moguls, Chief Innocent Chukwuma of Innoson Group of Companies and Dr Daniel Chukwudozie, Chairman Dozzy Group of companies who were conferred with honorary doctorate degrees by the university.
The president praised the award recipients for their contributions toward the growth of the nation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the third awardee at the convocation was the deposed Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi who was absent at the event.
Prof. Charles Esimone, the Vice-Chancellor of the universityUNIZIK, in an address said that the 14th convocation witnessed conferment of 7,650 first degrees, 1,954 post graduate diplomas, 610 Masters Degree, and 339 doctorate degrees.
Chukwuma and Chuwkudozie, in their separate remarks, promised to partner the management of the university in the upgrade of the engineering faculty of the school.
Chukwudozie on his part said he would meet with the management of the institution to know areas of needing assistance.
NAN reports that Gbong Qwom Jos, Dr Jacob Gyang Buba, and Chancellor of the university attended the ceremony among other scores of notable Nigerians. (NAN)
