By Mike Adeyemi
The Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) scheme
of the Federal Government has been described as a strategy to infringe
on the freedom and autonomy of Nigerian universities.
The Chairman of Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), University
of Ilorin chapter, Prof. Moyosore Ajao stated this in phone chat with
our reporter, at the weekend.
According to him, the IPPIS initiative of the Federal Government is
nothing but a ploy to gag the freedom and autonomy of the Nigerian
Universities as enshrined in the University Act.
“The university act stated that every university is to be governed by
its Governing Board which includes its finances.
“Why has the Federal Government not placed Central Bank of
Nigeria(CBN) under IPPIS. Why is Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) not included under IPPIS scheme and why in
particular is the National Assembly not placed under the Integrated
Payroll and Personnel Information System,” Ajao queried.
Continuing, he said, “We have ordered our members to disregard the
order to enrol on IPPIS because it is an infringement on the
sovereignty of the university.
“The scheme is dead on arrival and there is no going back on the
decision and position of the Academic Staff Union of University,
Unilorin chapter. We acted and ousted the scheme based on the order
from ASUU national head office.”
Speaking further, Prof Ajao said that world over, the control and
regulation of University lies within its constituted governing board.
“The IPPIS policy was introduced sometimes in Ghana and their
government did not compel it on the universities over there.
“Ghanaian universities rejected the scheme based on the infringement
to the autonomy of their institutions and till today, the government
over there did not mandate or force IPPIS on them. It is against the
law that established the university.
“ASUU as a responsible union is committed to university autonomy
alongside council roles in our universities. We are aware of the legal
and technical implication of enrolling our members on IPPIS,” he
added.
