FG vs ASUU: Nigerians back Federal Government to implement Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPIS)

 FG vs ASUU: Nigerians back Federal Government to implement Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPIS)

ASUU meets today for declaration of possible total, indefinite, suffocating strike

ASUU in negotiations with FG

The dispute between the federal government of Nigeria and the Academic Staff Union has lingered for months, causing a pause in academic activities and disrupting the academic calendar of Nigerian students.

However, Nigerians are now backing the FG in implementing the Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPIS).

Concerned by the long hold in academic activities, especially after a long holiday due to the covid pandemic, stakeholders are backing the government to implement the IPPIS in place of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) proposed by ASUU.

ASUU strike: FG says it has adopted voluntary conciliation to end strike

 

What the IPPIS is about

The Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPIS) system is a centralised payroll platform by the Federal Government that helps the Government plan and manages its payroll budget whilst also ensuring there’s no loophole in the disbursement of payment.

Instituted in April 2007, the platform’s data is used by the body responsible for the payment of salaries and wages directly to the employee’s bank account with the necessary deductions such as taxes, insurance and all, made automatically.

University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) is a payment system created by ASUU for the federal government to use to pay its members’ salaries.

What people are saying

@Farouq_Siyi said, “There’s is no justification whatsoever for ASUU to continue fighting off IPPIS. Nowhere does an employee force a payment platform on his employer! For their allowances and wage increment, I’m totally backing them to fight for it. FG must find a way to pay them up!

@jomamit_ said, “One of the problems with us in this country is that no one is clean, and we don’t feel bad about our own dirt. I still blame the government, though, it’s their job to maintain law and order, and show they can be trusted. ASUU should accept the payment system the government is proposing.”

@Ade_Nurayn said, “Some of you are dishonest citizens. We all know ASUU is holding FG to ransom, but you all heap the blame on FG despite ASUU’s padding of its workforce and salary and refusal to join IPPIS bc of its greed. Why should a lecturer work in 5 Universities when we can employ more lecturers?”

Some of you are dishonest citizens. We all know ASUU is holding FG to ransom, but you all heap the blames on FG despite ASUU's padding of its workforce & salary and refusal to join IPPIS bc of its greed. Why should a lecturer work 5 Univeristies when we can employ more lecturers?

— KING KUKUTE (@Ade_Nurayn) August 8, 2022

@smohkey_ said, “Even if UTAS is 1000% tested, FG said use IPPIS. ASUU is still an employee of the FG. I don’t see why a worker they should dictate how he wants to be paid by his boss. Whatever other issue ASUU is striking for could be valid but not this. Why are they so keen on UTAS?”

Even if UTAS is 1000% tested. FG said use IPPIS. ASUU is still an employee of the FG I don't see why a worker they should dictate how he wants to be paid by his boss. Whatever other issue ASUU is striking for could be valid but not this. Why are they so keen on UTAS?

— Biodun Jimoh (@smohkey_) August 8, 2022

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@AgentAnagbad said, “Maybe, just maybe if you engage a carpenter to work for you and at the end of the day, he demands you pay him in specific denominations conveyed in a white envelope with a stamp on it, you can appreciate ASUU’s untenable position. You can’t dictate to your employer how you get paid.”

Maybe just maybe if you engage a carpenter to work for you & at the end of the day, he demands you pay him in specific denominations conveyed in a white envelope with stamp on it, you can appreciate ASUU's untenable position.

You can't dictate to your employer how you get paid.

— Chigọzie Anagbado (@AgentAnagbad) August 7, 2022

@adagba01 said, “The system may not be perfect, but IPPIS is the thing they got right. One person will be teaching in 4 schools getting paid, yet will teach in some schools only one week/few days to exams. This has to stop so others can get employed in these schools, but no, they want to keep it that way.”

The system may not be perfect but IPPIS is thing they got right. One person will be teaching in 4 schools getting paid yet will teach some schools only one week/few days to exams. This has to stop so others can get employed in these schools but no, they want to keep it that way.

— #Dee (@adagba01) August 7, 2022

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@FinPlanKaluAja1 said, “The issue of IPPIS should be non-negotiable. IPPIS has always exposed ghost workers and should be adopted by every state and local government in Nigeria.”

The solution is NOT for ASUU to say they want their own solution.

Rather, they want they should enroll in IPPIS, then work with the geeks to accommodate the wages and allowances of that visiting professor.

ASUU can't use their own software. No

— Kalu Aja (@FinPlanKaluAja1) August 7, 2022

What you should know

ASUU had on February 14, 2022, embarked on a 4-week total and comprehensive strike to press home their unresolved demands on the federal government.

Some of the lecturers’ demands include funding for the revitalisation of public universities, payment of earned academic allowances, and adoption of the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a preferred payment option, instead of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and payment of promotion arrears.

Others are the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement and the resolution of inconsistencies in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

ASUU on May 9, further extended its ongoing strike by another 12 weeks to give the government enough time to satisfactorily resolve all the outstanding issues after an extension on March 14 due to an alleged lack of seriousness on the part of the federal government.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on July 19 directed the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, to proffer a solution to the challenge and report back to him in 2 weeks.

However, ASUU remained adamant in its resolve to press on with its demand as it once again on August 1 extended its ongoing strike by another 4 weeks to give the Federal Government more time to resolve outstanding issues in its dispute with it.

Tags: Academic Staff Union of UniversitiesASUUIPPIS

Comments 10

Japa Queen August 8, 2022 at 3:12 pm

ASUU have been stealing over the years – and IPPIS ends that – but they want to continue stealing.

Reply

Ogunade Kehinde Folahan August 8, 2022 at 3:36 pm

ASUU VS FG: NO JUSTICE FOR STUDENT

The Academic staff Union of university has been on strike since February 14 2022, which has lasted over 5 months and still counting. While this union has been in face-off with the federal government over breach of agreement, the university student have been suffering the consequences.

It is pertinent to note that the extension of the strike duration by the association falls on the fact that the federal government would pay them all the salaries that have been withheld since the beginning of the strike after it has been called off. To the Association, it is a win-win situation. The end justifies the means for them.

On the other hand, It is also pertinent to look at the effects on students, while the Academic staff union of university extends the strike for several months the students suffer prolonged academic period.

The student are at great loss when it comes to accommodation for not living in a house paid for.

The issue of burgling is not exempted, as we also lose our properties too.

Stating the above, what do we get. We get nothing just resumption and to continue with our study. Strike shouldn’t be a first recourse but this is not the case with the academic staff union of university.

On this note, I resolute to the notion that the appropriate authorities look into it that justice as an act of fairness to all be made. Lecturers shouldn’t receive salaries at the end of the strike for the period they failed to work while all we get in return is to go back to class after all the charade. This is a democratic nation. Government of the people, by the people and for the people.

I belief if this policy can be implemented, students in return would be able to get their own share of justice. It is time to put a stop to the end from justifying the means for Asuu.

Written by Ogunade Kehinde Folahan.

Reply

Ogbonnaya Obioma August 9, 2022 at 6:34 am

It is obvious that alot of people don’t even know what ASUU stands for. As long as we know, you can’t be doing two jobs in a different universities owned by the federal government and they will pay you because your data is already in their system. But in some cases like in professional courses like human medicine, veterinary medicine etc, professional exams are supervised by professors from another school and such a professor is on contract with the school the exams are to be conducted for 3yrs. Now with ippis, this cannot be possible and if ippis removes this, who will then supervise the exams? Then if you must remove it, then employ professors on a permanent basis whose work will be limited to supervising professional exams only.

Secondly, for each person enrolled into ippis, the accountant general of the federal makes #16,000 (sixteen thousand naira). Is that not corruption? Have you wondered how he was able to make the about 120billion in his account?

Further more, ippis had removed all allowances attached to lecturers. I give you an example, a professional is being paid hazard allowance and overtime allowance, this has affected their salary. A friend of mine whose salary before ippis was introduced was #235,000 now goes home with about #164,000. Is that fair to you?

Again, there has been embargo on employment by FG for the past two years and yet people are retiring every month. You come to a faculty or department, you see 7-8 lab attendance or see 3-4 secretaries in one office but in that same department, only 2-3 lecturers teaching a course that should be handled by 7-8 lecturers, who suffers it, the lecturer does and the students suffer more and yet, most students doesn’t even know that ASUU is actually fighting for them.

Lastly, there is no money to implement ASUU demand but this same useless, insensitive and uncaring government devoted a whopping sum to buy cars for another country that we benefit nothing from. That amount given to Niger republic is actually about 75% of what ASUU is demanding for. If this stupid government had given asuu that money, do you think strike wouldn’t have been called of?

You want them to call off strike and yet you ceased their salary since February till now, while their counterparts (non-teaching staffs) who are also on strike receives their salary monthly even when they have also been on strike with ASUU. And you say this government isn’t useless? I don’t even want to talk about how their salaries are cut every morning nth that most of them can’t say for sure what their salary is per month. The same ippis they claimed is perfect is still the same platform they have been using to employ their ghost workers. One person wrote that ASUU is against ippis because ippis uncovers their fraudulent activities in employment, please ASUU doesn’t employ anyone but FG does and so, if there is an issue of ghost workers, then hold FG responsible.

Students should be grateful to ASUU for their sacrifices to better things. For the record, l am not a member of ASUU yet but l understand better.

Reply

Ibraheem Alhassan August 8, 2022 at 7:36 pm

ASUU is not imposing UTAS, what it said IPPIS is not meeting to it’s peculiarities. The Government including the President challenge ASUU to bring an alternative and ASUU presented one. Now they are rejecting it. Let them upgrade their own to meet UTAS standard that’s all.

Reply

Wale Medupin August 8, 2022 at 9:18 pm

It is interesting how some people, out of ignorance, castigate ASUU for insisting on UTAS. The autonomy of ASUU is not a matter for public debate. The Constitution has to be amended if the autonomy should be withdrawn. IPPIS is imposed on Nigerian workers to siphon money and it is obvious in how much is traced to the suspended Accountant General of the Federation. That is what we know. There are hosts of others.

Let the government fulfil its agreement with ASUU. Simple. The UTAS was not just designed. Buhari government asked ASUU to design it.

Reply

CHRcIST 091c34814150 August 9, 2022 at 7:32 am

Thank you for pointing out the ignorance of many of the readers that are commenting. The government is banking on this believing that ASUU will be blamed for the long strike. If we want to improve the quality of education in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, the autonomy of the universities must be respected. Universities are not run like any other government agency. The issue of employer and employee doesn’t arise. The political involvement in the running of schools is the main reason our schools are closed.

Reply

Anyele August 9, 2022 at 6:45 am

Asuu is right in asking for govt to fulfil an age long agreement.

Asuu cannot tell govt how her members should be paid

If the universities are autonomous and can determine how they are paid then they should fund their renumeration.

Reply

ObC August 9, 2022 at 7:39 am

It is unfortunate that those who should know better don’t know anything.

Academics all over the world have their peculiarities and standard, which is above the routine standards of other employees. This can’t be overstated.

Fact is IPPIS is deficient in meeting these standard & peculiarities:

1) a visiting lecturer (adjunct professors, research fellow, scholar visitor etc) should be paid his/her due. Example: A visiting professional Engineer from India, China or Russia can’t be paid by IPPIS. Why? Whose detriment?

2) IPPIS is not crime-proof: cases of deductions from consolidated salaries abound.

And so much more.

Nigeria’s universities are unduly understaffed, & FG requested universities administrator to increase their admissions intake without improvement in structures (classrooms, teaching aids, accommodation capacity etc).

With the increased workload & poor remuneration, ASUU agitation persist.

We can’t wish away ASUU demands.

Investigative journalists should do better.

To end, without ASUU agitation, public universities in Nigeria including private one would become dilapidated like public primary and secondary schools in Nigeria.

Reply

Michael Oladele Olorunnimbe August 9, 2022 at 7:58 am

People don’t seem to understand the loss Nigeria is experiencing as a result of the implementation of IPPIS as payment platform for her workforce. The FG lamented on the number of people being added to the national payroll by staffers of office of the Accountant General of the Federation, over 30,000 names were said to have been added, according to the report.

Late in 2021, a staff of that office was arrested for fraud, talkless of many atrocities committed by officials of this department. The AGF himself also got caught in the same criminal act of diverting monies into his personal accounts through these fast fingers in his office. ASUU is not the only Union opposing IPPIS, other Unions also reject it. Our people are just being mislead by the FG and its agents.

Reply

Horlamedey August 9, 2022 at 1:36 pm

It is so shameful that FG is still contemplating on payment system with ASUU cause it is crystal clear that ASUU have something hidden to do with this their nonsense UTAS of a thing

It impossible for them to be dictating for their employer