Nigeria’s federal government has directed the stoppage of salaries of lecturers and all workers of tertiary institutions who are not enrolled on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
According to TheCable, which quoted a letter by the accountant-general of the federation, the finance minister has been asked not to release funds meant for January salaries to tertiary institutions.
This is because payments would be made through the IPPIS platform and priority is being given to such workers who enrolled in it.
“l am directed to inform you that the 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,” the letter read.
“This is to give effect to the directive of the Federal Government that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies drawing Personnel Cost from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) should be enrolled on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
“In order to actualize this directive, you are please requested not to release the Funds for payment of salaries to the Tertiary Institutions as their salaries will henceforth be paid on the IPPIS Platform with effect from January 2020.”
Already, the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had in December 2019 threatened to go on strike should the salaries of workers be stopped over the IPPIS controversy.
Three weeks ago, ASUU president, Biodun Ògúnyemí and his team met with President Muhammadu Buhari to reiterate its position.
ASSU had rejected the government’s directive for workers to enroll in the centralised payroll system, on the grounds that it does not take into account some peculiarities of universities.
However, the union proposed an alternative in the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), which it is still yet to complete its development.
Over time, the federal government had insisted on IPPIS.
Finance minister, Zainab Ahmed, had told ASUU members during the recent visit to President Buhari that 96,090 workers had enrolled on the platform, urging those who were yet to comply with the directive to do so.
