The Federal Government has taken steps to address all issues surrounding the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige said, recently, that government has directed bursars of Universities to compile all challenges associated with payment of salaries through the IPPIS platform with a view to addressing them. Dr. Ngige said he received the strike notice from non-teaching staff unions in Universities and was making efforts to meet with the leadership of the unions. The government plans to apply for a special pass from the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 to hold a physical meeting with the unions to discuss all contentious issues. The Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprised of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Associated Institutions (NASU). He, however, said the government did not need to call a meeting before it paid members their full salaries and release their payment slips. Samson Ugwoke-led JAC had issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to correct all problems associated with payment of salary through the IPPIS platform and release their earned allowances before the easing of the lockdown, threatening that members would not
resume duty when schools resume.
The Minister reaffirmed the FG effort to correct the problem. “We are on top of the situation; we have received their letter. Their letter borders on shortcomings of IPPIS system. “I have spoken with the finance minister and
accountant general of the federation and they said that they are in touch with university bursars to correct certain peculiarities and send back to them to treat.”
One of the important point stressed by the university workers was the shortcomings in IPPIS arising from over-taxing them and skipping some of their people who have taken leave of absence and the rest of other issues by the IPPIS. The minister concluded that, that could be resolved and adjusted.