SSANU Seeks Unbundling of IPPIS for Effective Operation

Onyebuchi Ezigbo

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has urged the federal government to decentralise the operations of Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPIS) in universities.

While expressing concern over delays in payment of arrears of the new minimum wage, SSANU asked federal government to ensure its payment on or before the end of February, 2022.

In a communique issued at the end of the 41st National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the SSANU held between January, 20 and 22 2022 at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-ife, Osun State, a copy of which was obtained yesterday, the association urged the government to unbundle IPPIS by decentralising the payment along staff unions to guarantee proper payment of salaries according to staff status, capturing all allowances.

SSANU in the communique signed by its president, Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim, gave the federal government on or before the end of February to pay its members all arrears of the new minimum wage.

The association lamented the pains its members were passing through as a result of the implementation of the IPPIS in universities and called on the government to unbundle the mode of payment by decentralising payment along staff unions to guarantee proper payment of salaries according to staff status.

The communique explained that SSANU NEC in session deliberated seriously on some critical issues specifically affecting labour unions, tertiary institutions and state of the nation in general.

While expressing concerns on the pains associated with the implementation of IPPIS, SSANU’s NEC stated the implementation of IPPIS had caused agonising pains in federal universities in this country.

It stated: “Salaries are paid in unpredictable manner, where staff cannot envisage what is expected as salary monthly. This is prompting growing tension in universities.

“NEC therefore urges government to unbundle IPPIS by decentralising the payment along staff unions to guarantee proper payment of salaries according to staff status, capturing all allowances.”

SSANU’s NEC frowned at what it described as the endless insincerity and double dealings of the federal government over agreements and memoranda of understanding seamlessly signed with labour unions.

“NEC recalls the several assurances of government to pay the agreed arrears of the new national minimum wage. Unfortunately, this promise is yet to be met after countless months; the last promise being end of October, 2021. “Government is enjoined to see to it that they keep to the promise of payment of the arrears of the new national minimum wage, which has already lost its value as at today,” it said.

SSANU also urged government to ensure that they pay the overdue arrears of the national minimum wage on or before the end of February, 2022.

On the payment of earned allowance to universities and inter-university centers, the NEC stated: “The shoddy implementation of earned allowances that has continued to cause untold chaos in Universities is yet to be implemented properly despite promises by the government to resolve all the issues.

“This is made obvious, in addition to other issues by the omission of Inter-university Centres in the payment of arned Allowances. This is considered unfair and SSANU frowns seriously at it. Inter-University Centres should therefore be considered in the next release of payment of earned allowances.”

In its resolution on staff school matters, SSANU noted that: “The issue of the university staff schools that had since been resolved by the National Industrial Court in favour of SSANU is still resurging despite government’s several promises to comply with the court’s ruling.

“Many universities are yet to re-absorb teachers of the staff schools into their payroll. NEC received report that the teachers are being migrated to a new salary structure called COMPISS. NEC noted that the COMPISS salary structure for university staff school teachers is a negation of the court ruling.”