The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU recently announced its
rejection of the government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel
Information System, IPPIS. It was not the first time it will oppose
the platform. But it’s recent aversion to the payment solution system
was taken a notch higher when the union argued that the software is a
danger to national security.
It is difficult to be on the same page with university lecturers in
this. ASUU is the worst example of trade unions, and their latest
stunt with regards to IPPIS especially as it relates to federal
universities is a testament to how this trade union has become larger
than life, disregarding the fundamental welfare of the institutions
where their members work, and the students who rely on their members
to carve out career, post-academic study.
Abuja directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies including
universities drawing their personnel cost from the Consolidated
Revenue Fund to enrol in IPPIS. The simple and obvious reason given by
Accountant-General of the Federation is to facilitate easy storage,
updating and retrieval of personnel records for administrative and
pension processing. The overarching objective of course is to curb
excess and perhaps rein in on recurrent expenditure that is spiralling
out of control.
We understand that the IPPIS system has been in operation since 2007,
covering not just civil servants but military personnel including
quasi military and the Police organisations. The objective is to
ensure everyone being paid by the Federal Government is on IPPIS. Note
however that the President, Vice President and the entire Federal
Executive Council members are paid via IPPIS.
IT experts say IPPIS software runs on SoftSUITE, an ERP owned and
serviced by SoftAlliance a company owned by a Nigerian named Tunde
Badejo since 2004. SoftSUITE is robust and can deliver reports, track
performance and support all critical processes that an ERP should do.
If we understand the features of an ERP one will literally laugh off
every single “reason” ASUU has put forward for rejecting the directive
that all federal university employees be integrated under IPPIS.
According to ASUU, IPPIS will “create anarchy and therefore retard the
growth and development of Nigeria.” Apparently, the way to curb
corrupt practices through payroll and personnel management is to “make
the Governing Councils” work. In other words, let things remain as
they are.
The saying that only an insane person would expect a different result
by doing the same thing, applies here. The so-called fears of the
university community on the policy in relation to university autonomy
and their peculiarity in such payments as sabbatical leave, part-time
programmes, staffing of new programmes, visitation, payment of
out-sourced services and earned allowances etcetera are genuine
concerns. However, anyone who knows what an ERP is knows that it is
scalable, flexible and can be updated to accommodate all those
peculiarities.
When Buhari presented the 2020 budget proposal to lawmakers and vowed
that any federal employee not captured on the IPPIS should forget
receiving monthly salary, beginning from November 2019, which means
grace ends this month, it was evident ASUU and others like them will
cause opprobrium.
But ASUU is a conglomeration of educated minds. How they can’t see
that this will aid the country in strengthening out our finances
surprises us. We expect them to be in the forefront of advocating
technology to solve our problems. But they don’t.
Payroll ERPs accomplishes myriads aspects of payroll, from calculating
wages and taxes, to planning employee benefits and managing
attendance, leave, expenses, benefits, bonus etcetera. If a lecturer
teaches in two or more institutions, legitimately, then they need not
worry as it would be captured on the IPPIS with payment and deductions
made accordingly.
Remuneration of staff on sabbatical, external examiners, external
assessors, and Earned Academic Allowances, movement of staff as in the
case of visiting, adjunct, part-time, consultancy service, which
academics offer across universities in Nigeria can all be captured on
an ERP, this is what it does.
ASUU has no argument. Their threat to embark on strike over a matter
like this is shameful. Here’s hoping something will appeal to their
conscience. Personal interest is antithesis to national development.
