FG exempts academic institutions from IPPIS; On Wednesday, the Federal Government granted approval for the exemption of universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and other tertiary institutions from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
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The decision, disclosed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, means that these institutions will no longer process remunerations through the IPPIS platform.
The exemption stems from the acknowledgement that the IPPIS limits the autonomy of tertiary institutions in managing their affairs. Minister Idris explained, “Today, the Council has graciously approved that. What that means is that going forward, the universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education will be taken off the IPPIS.
What that means is that the university authorities and other tertiary institutions will now pay their personnel from their own end instead of relying on the IPPIS.”
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, clarified that the decision aims to enhance the efficient administration of public educational institutions nationwide, emphasizing that it is unrelated to the integrity of IPPIS or other proposed systems.
Mamman stated, “The president and the Council are just concerned about the efficiency of the management of the universities, and so it has nothing to do with integrity or platform options. The president cannot understand why Vice Chancellors should be leaving their duty post and run to Abuja to get staff enlisted on IPPIS when they get recruited.”
The IPPIS, introduced in 2006, was initially promoted for transparency and accountability in personnel records and salary payments across government agencies. Despite government efforts to implement IPPIS in universities, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) opposed it, citing concerns about university autonomy and the incompatibility of IPPIS with the unique nature of academic work.
ASUU proposed an alternative system, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), arguing that it better addresses the peculiarities of the university system. The tensions between ASUU and the government over IPPIS have resulted in strikes and disruptions in academic activities, with ASUU advocating for the adoption of UTAS over IPPIS.
The recent decision by the Federal Government to exempt tertiary institutions from IPPIS is a significant development in addressing the longstanding concerns of academic unions and promoting autonomy in university management.
