The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has charged the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) to tackle corruption in revenue generation agencies in the country where funds are allegedly not remitted to the federal government rather than forcing universities in to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) ‘ on the pretext of sealing leakages’.
Zonal Coordinator of ASUU comprising Bauchi, Gombe and Plateau states Professor Lawan Abubakar gave the charge Monday while addressing journalists in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi.
Abubakar claimed that ‘the forceful implementation of the IPPIS policy in the Nigerian federal universities is a violation of university laws and university autonomy.
According to him, the policy is a renegation of the Federal Government’s agreement with ASUU pointing out that universities have various laws that decide how lecturers should be paid while the governing councils of the institutions employ and sanction staff.
” Is it only in petty salaries that you want to seal leakages while allowing mega corruptions like the P and ID, unremitted funds by revenue generating units etc to continue to have field days?
” IPPIS started before 2017, we equally need a declaration of the savings in personnel then. Where is the N273 billion of 2017 and 2018? How has it reduced the hardships Nigerians are still going through? He queried.
The union therefore asked the federal government to respect and adhere to approved budgets of universities and to challenge the governing councils of universities to curb corrupt practices in their payroll.
” We call on ASUU members all over the country to continue to be with and support the national leadership. We should only accept information and instructions from our leaders. To the AGF, please restrict yourself to keeping money for government. You do not have any business asking ASUU to join IPPIS”. The union posited.
