IPPIS: SENATE CALLS FOR THE URGENT NEED TO INVESTIGATE THE ALARMING CASES OF DELAYS IN PAYMENT OF SALARIES AMIDST ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE CAPTURING AND PAYMENT OF NEWLY RECRUITED UNIVERSITY STAFF UNDER THE INTEGRATED PAYROLL AND PERSONAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (IPPIS).
The Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Ubah has, yesterdsy afternoon at the hallowed Red Chambers, called the attention of his distinguished colleagues to the appalling condition which recruited staff of federal universities in Nigeria currently find themselves.
This non payment of salaries since their employment in 2020 till date is as a result of hitches associated with capturing the new recruits on the IPPIS database.
Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, in his address, disclosed that there had been series of complaints from the staff of federal institutions decrying the corrupt nature of the managers of IPPIS who allegedly demand bribes from the affected staff as prerequisite to get them captured on the IPPIS database.
While moving the motion during plenary, Senator Ubah prayed for the Senate to set up a probing committee to investigate the complaints and also invite the relevant authorities to throw light on the conflict between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities with regard to their preferred payment system between the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) and the University Transparency and Accountability Solutions (UTAS).
Senator Ubah noted that the intention behind the establishment of the IPPIS is a noble one as it is a reform measure that is aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency in the management of the data and earnings of Federal civil servants in such a manner as to guarantee confidence in staff emoluments, costs and budgeting as well as to eradicate ghost workers.
He however identified the recent reports of delays in capturing the university staff recruited in 2020 as well as the non-payment of their salaries as reasons that cast serious doubts on the credibility and suitability of IPPIS as a system of managing the payment of federal universities staff.
The Senate, in adopting the motion, resolved to refer the matter to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education (when constituted), with the mandate to investigate the allegations of bribery and corruption levelled against IPPIS officials at the various Universities across the federation, delayed capturing and non-payment of staff of federal universities who were recruited since 2020.
The Committee was also charged with presenting a report on the status of the disagreement between the Federal Government and ASUU on the use of either IPPIS or UTAS as the preferred payment system for Nigerian University staff and recommend the way forward.