Month: October 2019

IPPIS REJECTION: ASUU Should stop being a disgrace to Nigeria, embodiment of corruption

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was quoted in some sections of the media in the past few days of being poised for a showdown with the federal government over planned enforcement of Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPIS) on her members as contained in President Muhammadu Buhari Federal Budget (FG) 2020 Budget presentation to National Assembly on Wednesday October 9, 2019 that any agency that failed to enrol in the IPPIS by October 2019 would not be paid monthly salary.

Rights and Freedom Advocates (RIFA) saw the university lecturers’ threat as an attempt to swindle Nigeria into lawlessness and fraud. Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) is to provide a reliable and efficient database for the public service to eliminate record and payroll frauds, facilitate easy storage, enhance manpower planning, update and retrieve personnel records for easy administrative and pension processes and promote convenient staff remuneration payment with minimal wastes and leakages.

Invariably, IPPIS is an Information Communications Technology (ICT) project initiated by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of payroll administration for its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

And it has been operational in most of the Federal agencies but ASUU has been resisting implementation of same on its members because it will block loopholes its members use to defraud Nigeria.

One of the leaders of the Union was quoted as saying the union was not against accountability but will resist attempt by the government to violate existing laws and autonomy of the university.

To be sincere, some Professors are embarrassment to intellectuals. The same ASUU that claim to be vying for autonomy would be deceiving Nigerians that Government has not funded education adequately and so it embarks on industrial action any time it deems fit.

Is it proper for students to resist admission decision of a university if not admitted or employee dictating to its employers or why is ASUU afraid of what its members sold to the government through different publications and found worthwhile to fight irregularity in public payment system?

If ASUU was joyous in the IPPIS policy sold to other agencies of the government, why is it opposing same policy?

Or is it sensible that someone sells a particular food but could not eat from same food rather he prefers to buy from another food seller. If the food he sells is beneficial and good, why is he afraid of eating same food?

The ASUU claim that the template designed by government plans to enslave intellectuals as it does not make provisions for payment of arrears of promotion, study leave allowance, responsibility allowance among others leaves one to ask ASUU if rapists such as Dr (Pastor) Boniface Igbeneghu, Dr Samuel Oladipo of University of Lagos and Professor Richard Iyiola Akindele, a former lecturer in the department of management and accounting of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife among others or truants or opponents of national progress are the intellectuals being referred to. The group should stop deceiving unsuspecting Nigerians as IPPIS would only prevent its members from being ghost workers collecting multiple salaries and undue allowances, alter their ages at will to prevent normal age retirement, allow them enjoy benefits they do not deserve even when suffer students to the extent that most people now run away from same public universities because of the sorry-state ASUU has turned Nigerian universities to.

The claim by ASUU that the federal government should design the appropriate template that will factor in the peculiarities of university lecturers and not adopt the world-bank designed template is self-serving and untenable because the same dubious ASUU often uses global standard to intimidate FG to dance to its tune of stiffening Nigeria when its members are mostly good at raping and coercing girls for marks or force men to part with money to pass. Rather than the Nigerian universities being centre for academic and moral excellence, it only thrives in projecting and producing rapists and cultists as academics and same set of people lead ASUU today.

Little wonder that despite the uproar that followed British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) revelation of Pastor Boniface Igbeneghu and Dr Samuel Oladipo licentious and amorous display towards students and prospective students of University of Lagos (Unilag) in a documentary released in October 2019, ASUU saw no reason to mobilize its members against such practice perhaps that is its members’ stock-in-trade which probably the association cannot deny.

The IPPIS is just a better way of eliminating ghost workers in public Universities as most lecturers in public universities abandon their work and take full-time job at private universities or in their own private establishment abandoning students to their fate and collect money from government for work not done. Most of them cannot even allow their children study in public universities again because of sub-standard service they render and do not want their children to receive same.

What of research students abandoned by lecturers and series of class missed because these lecturers run away to other ventures and still want to dupe government?

The government was coerced by same ASUU to extend the retirement age of professors to 70 years when most agile youths with requisite knowledge and time are prevented from having access to public universities for job and those who are engaged are treated like housemaids.

The slavery cannot continue and ASUU should stop being cog in the wheel of progress of Nigeria. Enough of balderdash!!! Any ASUU member not ready to join IPPIS should just resign and allow those that are serious with their work to take charge.

Most of these lecturers fighting unjust cause are ghost workers in their respective schools who would not even forgive their house maid if failed to resume work on time any day in a month and would surcharge such maid in his or her wage at the end of the month.

ASUU whose members force students to buy hand outs, pay for marks, receive no lecture or inadequate lecture for fees paid, extort students to pass, neglect students research works for assessment for months, weeks and even years is talking of illegality in the implementation of IPPIS.

Are all the abnormalities being committed by its members as highlighted among others legal in discharge of official duties? If the system works well, most of those who parade themselves as lecturers today deserve to be students in normal sense institutes.

RIFA therefore urge Nigerians not to be deceived by the usual antics of the University lecturers as they are not above other workers.

FG should disengage any ASUU member that joins anti-progressive Nigeria campaign and allow those who are ready to work to identify themselves.

The recognition being given to mediocrity in academic is enough! Government should be bold not to be coerced to succumb to usual false accusations and misinformation of ASUU members.

Any ASUU member that embarks on industrial action as a result of IPPIS should just be shown exit door of the public university system.

Luqman Soliu
President,
Rights and Freedom Advocates (RIFA)

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