The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) have has said the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) without peculiarities of the Colleges of Education Subsector (COES) is unacceptable.
COEASU President, Mr Nuhu Ogirima, in a statement in Abuja, yesterday, said the implementation of the IPPIS without the peculiarities of COES is an unacceptable breach of trust by the Federal Government.
He said the attention of the National Secretariat has been drawn to the payment of February 2020 salary to staff of the Federal Colleges of Education by the Federal Government.
“From the information available, it is quite evident that the peculiarities of the Colleges of Education subsector, which the stakeholders’ meetings with IPPIS office, prior to its implementation, harped on as the basis of rejection of the obnoxious pay platform, have not been reflected.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the February salary paid by the government did not include the Peculiar Allowances of the staff of the subsector, especially the Peculiar Earned Academic Allowance (PEAA).
“Also not paid are the staff on Sabbatical Leave. In addition, deductions were effected on all staff salary indiscriminately, for the National Housing Fund (NHF), a voluntary scheme to which most staff did not subscribe.
“Whereas government deducted its own statutory deductions, the non-statutory deduction of staff that are necessary for their well-being, especially Staff Cooperative Society contributions were not made.
“Sadly, pension and the imposed obnoxious tax deductions were effected on gross earning of staff, which included non-taxable Allowances as against the basic salary on which such deductions ought to be effected,’’ he said.
The COEASU President added that the union views this as a serious breach of trust, and therefore, considers this betrayal not acceptable.
He said the impunity with which the government has engendered the anomaly goes to further heighten the fears and reinforces of concern over the wanton neglect of the Colleges of Education subsector by successive administrations peaked with the current government.
He, however, said that the union has reiterated their initial worries and concerns over the use of IPPIS in Colleges of Education system, as a tertiary institution.
He said the union has called on the government, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) in particular, to as a matter of urgent concern, address this issue capable of disrupting the smooth running of the COEs and ameliorate the situation.