Victoria Mgbanwa
The Federal Government’s decision to deactivate the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) for federal tertiary institutions has sparked renewed debate with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Although initial reports suggested universities would no longer be under IPPIS, ASUU argues the government’s revised approach fails to truly remove them from the centralized payroll system.
On Monday, reports indicated the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) had confirmed that IPPIS would no longer directly oversee payment structures for federal universities. Bawa Mokwa, the Director of Press and Public Relations at OAGF, stated that removing federal tertiary institutions from IPPIS was part of a federal directive aimed at decentralizing payroll.
However, ASUU National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, criticized the move as misleading, emphasizing that universities would still need to submit salary data to IPPIS for verification before payments.
He said, “It is not acceptable to us as a union. If you go through the body of the statement, you’ll see where it was noted that the government would still forward names to IPPIS for verification before salaries are paid.
“Do you know the number of institutions that we have in the country? To us, this is just a plot to manipulate and complicate things so it is not acceptable.”
“This means that over 300 institutions across the country will send their salary data to IPPIS for vetting. Every university should prepare salaries and pay staff after budgets have been passed by the House of Representatives and approved and signed by the President.
“If they want to remove us from IPPIS, why should IPPIS still verify our salaries?”
Prof. Osodeke also hinted at potential action if their demands aren’t met, indicating that ASUU’s negotiation team will meet with federal representatives soon to discuss possible changes.
“Until this meeting, we can’t determine our next course of action, but we’re hoping for a favorable response,” he said, hinting at the possibility of a strike if the government does not take ASUU’s concerns seriously.
Meanwhile, other university unions, including the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, indicated they were not yet aware of the development, further underscoring the lack of clarity around the policy shift.
ASUU’s call for autonomy is rooted in its concern that centralized government payroll systems hinder effective academic governance. Whether the upcoming discussions will yield a mutually agreeable resolution remains to be seen, with university staff waiting to see if their institutions will gain greater control over internal matters or continue under federal oversight.
