 |
| Prof Ogunyemi |
Vested
interests in govt are promoters of IPPIS –Prof Ogunyemi
interests in govt are promoters of IPPIS –Prof Ogunyemi
National
president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Biodun
Ogunyemi, in an exclusive interview with MOSES JOHN, speaks on the lingering
issue of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Biodun
Ogunyemi, in an exclusive interview with MOSES JOHN, speaks on the lingering
issue of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
Over
8000 lecturers enrolled on IPPIS
8000 lecturers enrolled on IPPIS
In
the first place, the claimed that a substantial number of our members have
registered on IPPIS platform is not correct
the last time we checked. A total
of 8146 or there about they claimed to have enrolled were those they captured
among academic staff. And I ask the question, how many academic staff do we
have in federal universities across Nigeria? It’s about 50,000. So if you take
8000 and find the ratio to 50,000, I think the conclusion can be drawn by
you.
the first place, the claimed that a substantial number of our members have
registered on IPPIS platform is not correct
the last time we checked. A total
of 8146 or there about they claimed to have enrolled were those they captured
among academic staff. And I ask the question, how many academic staff do we
have in federal universities across Nigeria? It’s about 50,000. So if you take
8000 and find the ratio to 50,000, I think the conclusion can be drawn by
you.
That
aside, we have seen the antics, we have seen the methodology they used in
luring people into registering on IPPIS. I will give you examples; they have
been telling those who are close to retirement that unless they are on IPPIS,
their pension would not be guaranteed.
aside, we have seen the antics, we have seen the methodology they used in
luring people into registering on IPPIS. I will give you examples; they have
been telling those who are close to retirement that unless they are on IPPIS,
their pension would not be guaranteed.
Blackmailing
and bringing outsiders
and bringing outsiders
For
those who have put 30 to 40 years into the service of this country, I think
that is a disservice to them. Lie is something that should not be allowed to
stand. There are those they are bringing in through the backdoor because those
who are capturing data on IPPIS across the nation have been approaching
universities with list of staff that they would like to capture. And what
they do to vice chancellors is to tell them, “Well, bring 100 names, we also
give you 100 names and we will capture them under IPPIS”. This is something
that can be investigated.
those who have put 30 to 40 years into the service of this country, I think
that is a disservice to them. Lie is something that should not be allowed to
stand. There are those they are bringing in through the backdoor because those
who are capturing data on IPPIS across the nation have been approaching
universities with list of staff that they would like to capture. And what
they do to vice chancellors is to tell them, “Well, bring 100 names, we also
give you 100 names and we will capture them under IPPIS”. This is something
that can be investigated.
Just
last week or there about, there was a release or a presentation made by a
former Auditor-General of the Federation, who said, “IPPIS has become a
platform for perfecting corruption.” And this is what we have been saying all
along. A platform designed to fight corruption has suddenly been
corrupted by those who are implementing it. If you probe deeply among even
those 8000 plus they said they had captured, you would find that the
substantial numbers are people they had brought through the backdoor in order
to boost their list.
last week or there about, there was a release or a presentation made by a
former Auditor-General of the Federation, who said, “IPPIS has become a
platform for perfecting corruption.” And this is what we have been saying all
along. A platform designed to fight corruption has suddenly been
corrupted by those who are implementing it. If you probe deeply among even
those 8000 plus they said they had captured, you would find that the
substantial numbers are people they had brought through the backdoor in order
to boost their list.
IPPIS
as a curse to varsity operation
as a curse to varsity operation
Well,
we have been saying that IPPIS is an anathema to the operations of the
university system because every university thrives in dynamism. Every university thrives in flexibility of
the payroll system in the sense that as u are introducing new programmes, you
can bring in people from outside the country. Those are people that will not be
on pension, and IPPIS office has always said it loud and clear that “unless you
are on pension, you cannot be captured”.
That is different from saying we have captured sabbatical, we have captured
adjunct, we have captured part-time. It’s
a different matter, it’s a
different ball game. There are what is called scarce areas on our system that
we would need assistance from our colleagues in Diaspora; our colleagues in
federal universities that we would need to call and work with us for short time
or for fairly long time, ranging from maybe three months to about six months or
two or three years. Those are people
that would not be on pension. And if
IPPIS is saying unless you are on pension you cannot be captured, it means
shutting the door against our colleagues from other parts of the world whose
services we need to improve the quality of university education in Nigeria. So
ASUU cannot close its eyes to all these objectionable practices that IPPIS is
trying to bring into our system.
we have been saying that IPPIS is an anathema to the operations of the
university system because every university thrives in dynamism. Every university thrives in flexibility of
the payroll system in the sense that as u are introducing new programmes, you
can bring in people from outside the country. Those are people that will not be
on pension, and IPPIS office has always said it loud and clear that “unless you
are on pension, you cannot be captured”.
That is different from saying we have captured sabbatical, we have captured
adjunct, we have captured part-time. It’s
a different matter, it’s a
different ball game. There are what is called scarce areas on our system that
we would need assistance from our colleagues in Diaspora; our colleagues in
federal universities that we would need to call and work with us for short time
or for fairly long time, ranging from maybe three months to about six months or
two or three years. Those are people
that would not be on pension. And if
IPPIS is saying unless you are on pension you cannot be captured, it means
shutting the door against our colleagues from other parts of the world whose
services we need to improve the quality of university education in Nigeria. So
ASUU cannot close its eyes to all these objectionable practices that IPPIS is
trying to bring into our system.
UTAS
as a way out of vested interest
as a way out of vested interest
Well,
at our last engagement we had with the presidency, it was agree that we should
go and marry IPPIS with our propose university transparency and accountability
solution (UTAS). We are waiting for that and we are ready to engage the
government on that, but we suspect very strongly that there are some vested
interests who believe that unless IPPIS and IPPIS alone is implemented, they
cannot maximise their gains.
at our last engagement we had with the presidency, it was agree that we should
go and marry IPPIS with our propose university transparency and accountability
solution (UTAS). We are waiting for that and we are ready to engage the
government on that, but we suspect very strongly that there are some vested
interests who believe that unless IPPIS and IPPIS alone is implemented, they
cannot maximise their gains.
We
talk of gains because why do you need foreign loan to implement a programme
designed for civil service? IPPIS is being implemented with a loan of $140m.
ASUU is developing an alternative which is costing the union its own fund to
bring it about. We are telling the
government, “Let’s work together.” In other climes, when there are problems,
they throw the challenge to university scholars. We are saying we have taken up
this challenge upon ourselves. Test us for the first time and let’s see how it
goes. So we believe that reason will
prevail along the line, but for as long as government insists, or elements in
government insist that it is IPPIS or no salaries, our members will
respond as appropriate.
talk of gains because why do you need foreign loan to implement a programme
designed for civil service? IPPIS is being implemented with a loan of $140m.
ASUU is developing an alternative which is costing the union its own fund to
bring it about. We are telling the
government, “Let’s work together.” In other climes, when there are problems,
they throw the challenge to university scholars. We are saying we have taken up
this challenge upon ourselves. Test us for the first time and let’s see how it
goes. So we believe that reason will
prevail along the line, but for as long as government insists, or elements in
government insist that it is IPPIS or no salaries, our members will
respond as appropriate.
Using
TETFund grants for personal gain
TETFund grants for personal gain
It’s
an allegation, and anybody is free to make allegation. But the onus to prove it
is on them. And if at all this thing happened, in what magnitude? Because our
experience is that in Nigeria you see one out of 100 cases and then you blow it
to high heavens. We are not saying that all scholars are perfect, but we
believe that if you have such cases and you bring them out clearly and people
are sanctioned, that will serve as a deterrent to others. This thing is coming
to us as a strange statement because we have never been taken into confidence
on this. And if you have allegation against our members, then you need to show
us the proof. We would still engage TETFund on this because we want to know
more about it. We want to know more
because those you see as our partners just go into public space to make wild
allegations. What is the magnitude? If you have 100 scholars and you saw one or
two that possibly diverted the money, does that provide a basis for
generalisation? So it is that basis that we are interrogating and we will
continue to do that. So we believe that allegation is not a correct
reflection of what academics do in Nigeria.
an allegation, and anybody is free to make allegation. But the onus to prove it
is on them. And if at all this thing happened, in what magnitude? Because our
experience is that in Nigeria you see one out of 100 cases and then you blow it
to high heavens. We are not saying that all scholars are perfect, but we
believe that if you have such cases and you bring them out clearly and people
are sanctioned, that will serve as a deterrent to others. This thing is coming
to us as a strange statement because we have never been taken into confidence
on this. And if you have allegation against our members, then you need to show
us the proof. We would still engage TETFund on this because we want to know
more about it. We want to know more
because those you see as our partners just go into public space to make wild
allegations. What is the magnitude? If you have 100 scholars and you saw one or
two that possibly diverted the money, does that provide a basis for
generalisation? So it is that basis that we are interrogating and we will
continue to do that. So we believe that allegation is not a correct
reflection of what academics do in Nigeria.
January
salary, increment on tuition
salary, increment on tuition
Our
members were paid, but were not paid fully, and that is where the problem
is starting from. It appears government or elements in government have decided
to attack.
members were paid, but were not paid fully, and that is where the problem
is starting from. It appears government or elements in government have decided
to attack.
We
don’t have the full information on that increment of what the students paid,
but we will look into it and at the appropriate time, we will make a statement.
But let us say this for now, that ASUU condemns any act that will increase the
burden of our students and their parents.
We are saying this also because it is relating to IPPIS. When the IPPIS office is telling us that
well, you can bring in lecturers from anywhere but use your IGR to pay them,
what does that mean? What IGR do we have in the universities? Is it to be
selling pure water, or to become cow dealers? So we are saying that all this
substitution moves to pass burden to our students and their parents, or to
increase their burden. ASUU will stand by the students in rejecting and
condemning them.
don’t have the full information on that increment of what the students paid,
but we will look into it and at the appropriate time, we will make a statement.
But let us say this for now, that ASUU condemns any act that will increase the
burden of our students and their parents.
We are saying this also because it is relating to IPPIS. When the IPPIS office is telling us that
well, you can bring in lecturers from anywhere but use your IGR to pay them,
what does that mean? What IGR do we have in the universities? Is it to be
selling pure water, or to become cow dealers? So we are saying that all this
substitution moves to pass burden to our students and their parents, or to
increase their burden. ASUU will stand by the students in rejecting and
condemning them.
Meeting
SDGs
SDGs
It is difficult to rate the quality of education
because the ingredients of quality promotion are not available. Visit our
schools, what do you see? Dilapidated structures. We don’t have aids for
teaching and learning; we don’t have conducive environment, even the teachers
are not given regular training that would enhance their capacity and
capabilities. So we need to work on the quality ingredients, funding, teaching
personnel, human and material resources and other elements that would provide
the input into the system in order to assure quality. So why are we not
achieving? We need to look at what is happening in our state. You see, the
simplest one is what the state governors are doing in terms of access to UBEC
funds. So, whether they took loan or
not, there were some funds set aside, and you are to provide counterpart fund.
Nothing should stop them from accessing this to rehabilitate our schools and
attract the best quality of teachers and support the system. So we need to work
on the ingredients for quality education in the system in order to ensure
quality that we desire