FG on Verge of Removing Tertiary Institutions from IPPIS, Says Minister

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The federal government has disclosed that the federal government is on the verge of removing universities and other tertiary institutions from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), a payment platform which had sparked intense protests from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in recent times.

The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tanko Sununu, who said this in an exclusive interview with THISDAY, disclosed that the   removal of tertiary institutions from the IPPIS scheme was almost complete.

ASUU had reportedly issued a 21-day notice to the federal government threatening to embark on a fresh industrial action over the failure of the government to implement past agreements, including the removal of universities from the IPPIS scheme.

However, in the interview, Sununu disclosed that although there was a delay in the implementation, the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) were working in synergy to comply with the Presidential directive on the matter.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting of August 15, 2024, had directed that the removal of the trade union and other tertiary institutions from the payment scheme should be implemented henceforth without delay.

On the issue of non-payment of salaries to some lecturers, particularly in federal public universities for over one year, Sununu said the ministry was unaware of such a development.

“There was a delay in the process of the movement of tertiary institutions from IPPIS and just if recent, the President in the Federal Executive Council meeting directed that it should be implemented henceforth without delay.

“As of today, the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation are working in synergy to comply with that with immediate effect. Therefore, removing tertiary institutions from IPPIS is as good as done,” he said.

The Federal Executive Council had in December 2023, separated the university system from its initial inclusion in the IPPIS scheme, and eight years down the line, implementation is yet to be effected.