A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Haruna Yerima, has commended President Bola Tinubu for exempting universities and polytechnics from the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) payment platform.
Professor Yerima also urged Mr Tinubu to be magnanimous in paying up the eight-month salary arrears of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) withheld by the federal government.
The academic said the removal of tertiary institutions from IPPIS would bolster academic independence and spur productivity for the growth of the nation.
On Wednesday, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided by President Bola Tinubu exempted universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, among others from IPPIS.
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On October 20, 2023, exactly one year after ASUU called off its eight-month strike, President Tinubu approved the payment of four of their eight-month withheld salaries. However, the four months’ salary arrears have not been paid yet.
His predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, withheld the university lecturers’ salaries under the ‘No work, no pay’ policy.
Professor Yerima urged Tinubu to pay up the salary arrears of the lecturers, “to cushion the effect of the ongoing economic reforms being undertaken by the current administration.”
