Witness narrates how Ex-HoS, allies diverted public funds to private companies in court
ASUU not permanently exempted from IPPIS- Ngige
By Modupe Shodeinde
The Federal Government on Saturday has clarified its proposal to exempt the members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
According to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, this exemption is only temporary pending the result of the integrity test been carried out on the University Transparency and Accountability Solution(UTAS).
Ngige said that the government had not abandoned the IPPIS nor has the government completely exempted ASUU from the platform.
“I think it is better because a lot of people are quoting us out of context saying that we abandoned the IPPIS and that we said they should not be on IPPIS, it is not true.
“What we said in the meeting and what we agreed was that in the interim for the transition period that UTAS is being tested by NITDA and the Office of National Security Adviser for cyber security.
“For that transition period, ASUU members that are not yet on IPPIS will be paid through the platform with which they were paid the President’s compassionate COVID-19 payment done to them between the months of February and June.”
“That platform is a hybrid platform between IPPIS and GIFMIS platform (Government Integrated Financial and Management Information System) for the transition period.
That was what was used, it’s a hybrid.” Ngige said.
He said that the Federal government would make use of this platform used during that period until UTAS undergoes all the integrity test and cyber security test and it is confirmed for use.
He explained the reason for this decision is because no government pay would be done outside the IPPIS.
Speaking on the N65 billion offer to ASUU, Ngige explained that the government increased the N25 billion revitalisation fund by N5bn to become N25bn and if it becomes N25b, the Earned Allowances will be raised to N40b immediate payment, making for a total of N65 billion for revitalisation and Earned Allowances in the universities.
