Embrace IPPIS for transparency, Association tells ASUU

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to embrace the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) in order to ensure accountability and transparency.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Mr Emmanuel Onwubiko, in Abuja on Wednesday, HURIWA said IPPIS would also wipe out the phenomenon of ghost workers in the country.

Onwubiko said universities as bastions of learning ought to be the first among government institutions that should embrace IPPIS.

According to him, the reason for opposition of this 21st century compliant payment system by ASUU does not add up.

“This is because the Federal Government is the employer of labour in all universities at the federal level since they draw their funding components from the federation account.

“Indeed there are several issues that must not be muddled up and dirtied in the muddy water of politics.

“One of such things is the federal government’s integrated payroll and personnel information system which governs the accountable and transparent payment of salaries of workers employed by the Nigerian state.

“For us in the organised human rights community, in as much as we are not comfortable with the lack of openness in the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, we think that all the 36 states of the federation should be made to adopt that seamless form of payments of salaries known as IPPIS,” he said.

Onwubiko said federal government’s employees should be made to comply with best global practice aimed at abolishing corruption and abuse of office.

“Since IPPIS department is responsible for payment of salaries and wages directly to government employee’s bank accounts with appropriate deductions and remittances of third party payments such as; Federal Inland Revenue Service and State Boards of Internal Revenue.

“Others are National Health Insurance Scheme, National Housing Fund, Pension Fund Administrator, Cooperative Societies, Trade Unions Dues, Association Dues and Bank Loans.

“We are finding it very much shocking that universities who should be at the forefront of campaign for an accountable and transparent payment system in the country are those kicking against this noble idea,” the national coordinator said.

According to him, if implemented faithfully, IPPIS is capable of checking ghosts workers syndrome which creates corruption on a large scale in the federal civil service.

Onwubiko urged ASUU to enroll in the IPPIS to help the country to wage forensic war against corruption.