Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Government said over 96,090 university lecturers out of about 137,016 have enrolled in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, who made the revelation, urged Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) to encourage the remaining 40,926 members to comply with the process.
The union’s National President, Biodun Ogunyemi, accompanied by ASUU Vice President Victor Osodeke and other members of leadership of the unionhad submitted a presentation to President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, yesterday.
According to her, a desk has been opened in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation for registration of university staff, assuring that peculiarities of the tertiary institutions will be accommodated.
The minister pointed out that many anomalies were discovered in the university structures that had contributed to the increased cost burden in the universities.
These, according to her, include staff working and earning pay in more than one university, contract staff on payroll of the government, tax reductions on PAYEE and multiple employments.
Ahmed said some universities had rushed to recruit more staff before the IPPIS registration commenced, which was then detected.
“While it is clear that ASUU has peculiarities, it should be recognised and rightly accommodated, and the allowances will be made, and not leaving the university out of IPPIS because of the peculiarities,’’ she added.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, urged ASUU to comply with IPPIS in national interest as his office was already in the process of streamlining all issues of human resources in government.
Prof. Ogunyemi said the educational sector needed more federal government attention, noting that implementation of agreements over the years would go a long way in improving the quality of education in the universities.
“Nigerian universities can make meaningful contributions to addressing the challenges of the country (economy, security and corruption) if given the opportunities.
“Appropriate funding level, competitive conditions of service, university autonomy and academic freedom are critical to creating such an atmosphere.
“With adequate and effective education, particularly university education, Nigerians will be less susceptible to manipulation, our economy will grow and problems of insecurity and corruption will be drastically reduced,’’ he said.
The ASUU president said Nigeria could learn from countries like China, Malaysia and Singapore that had encouraged universities to drive their educational development through tripartite linkages of government, industries and universities called Triple Helix Principle.
The source disclosed that the N25 billion Academic Earned Allowances was also tabled at the meeting.ASUU had kicked against its inclusion in IPPIS which is a directive from President Buhari, describing it as enslavement.
However, a faction of the union, Congress of University Academics (CONUA), mandated its members to comply with the Federal Government’s directive, some universities have complied with the directive, others are yet to do so because of ASUU’s stance.