President Muhammad Buhari has insisted that there is no going back on the directive that all employees of the Federal Government, including the Federal universities, must be enrolled in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
He disclosed this during the 29th convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology, Minna on Saturday.
Buhari, who was represented at the occasion by the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Pantami, noted that the country is faced with a number of challenges and government was doing everything possible to address the challenges.
“Our country is currently beset with multi-faceted challenges and we are equally adopting a multi-pronged approach combat that has been addressing them with a appreciable success so far. Some of the solutions we have adopted may be painstaking, but we are supremely confident that in the end, our country will be the better place for all.
“Just as we are diversifying our economy, tapping into other streams of revenue to revamp our economy, we have also remained resolute in ensuring that we block the loopholes in public finance so as to eliminate fraud and retrieve funds which can be used to address challenges such as infrastructure deficit and unemployment.
“It is for this reason that my administration gave the directive that all employees of the Federal Government, including the Federal universities, must be enrolled in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). That decision, mindful as it is of sectorial peculiarities, is irreversible. As such, any opposition to this directive is an unwelcome tendency toward economic sabotage,” Buhari said.
The president reminded the new graduands that the degrees conferred on them have empowered them, not only to be as job-seekers, but to be potential job creators in Nigeria’s digital economy with a charge on them to think innovatively and build synergies through the relationships established in the university in order to advance their fortunes in life.
He said, “Our government will continue to work assiduously to create more jobs and more employment opportunities for the youth of this nation on whose shoulders rests the future of our great country.”
Speaking earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Abdullahi Bala announced that the total of 4502 were graduating for the 2018/2019 convocation ceremony.
“3597 students received first degrees which include 139 students from our affiliate institutions of federal college of education Potiskum with 105 graduands, federal college of education technical Akoka with 11 graduands and Kaduna Polytechnic with 23 graduands.
“There are 57 first class representing 2 percent, second class Upper 926 representing 26 percent, second class lower 1733 representing 48 percent, third class 836 representing 23 percent and 45 pass representing 1 percent.
“Our post graduate school also awards 182 post graduate diplomas, 629 masters degrees and 94 doctorate degrees while the total inclusive of graduands of our affiliate programmes in college of basic and advanced studies Yauri is 956 graduands,” the Vice Chancellor said.
Buhari gives directive
FG and ASUU have been in loggerheads over enrollment of the later in the IPPIS.
And a letter from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation dated January 23, 2020 and addressed to the Minister of Finance and National Planning requested the stoppage of the release of funds for the payment of salaries of all academic staff who failed to enroll in IPPIS.
The letter titled ‘Request for Stoppage of Release of Funds for January Salaries to Federal Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education” read: “I am directed to inform you that preparation of January 2020 salary payroll and warrants of the federal tertiary institutions are ongoing and will be ready for submission on or before 29th of January, 2020.
“This is to give effect of the directive of the Federal Government that all ministries, departments or agencies drawing personnel cost from the Consolidated Revenue Fund should be enrolled on the IPPIS.
“In order to actualise this directive, you are please requested not to release the funds for payment of salaries to tertiary institutions as their salaries will henceforth be paid on the IPPIS platform with effect from January, 2020.”
ASUU threatens
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU The Academic Staff Union of Universities are fumming over the recent directive by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to stop the January salary of lecturers who failed to enrol on the Integrated Personal Payroll Institution System.
Speaking to Daily Trust on the telephone, ASUU President Prof. Abiodun Ogunyemi said the Federal Government should be ready to take full responsibility for an industrial crisis.
He described the directive to stop salaries of tertiary institutions’ lecturers as provocative.
Abiodun said: “This circular is highly provocative, we condemn it, we reject it.
“It appears some individuals in government are trying to sabotage the process and they do not want us to present our alternative to IPPIS and we believe what we’re doing is in the best interest of the Nigerian university system.”
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