By Felix Khanoba
The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has called on the Federal Government to revisit its policy on Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) in the nation’s tertiary education institutions.
The President of COEASU, Smart Olugbeko, made the call said in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday.
Olugbeko said the IPPIS policy undermined the statutory functions of the governing councils, and breaches the establishment integrity of the tertiary education sector in general and the College of Education system in particular.
According to him, IPPIS has become a means of defrauding COEASU members as there are thousands of cases of short-payment, outright non-payment, unlawful delay and/or withholding of third party deductions.
“For example, the centralisation of payroll administration through the IPPIS undermines the statutory functions of the Governing Councils, breaches the establishment integrity of the tertiary education sector in general and the College of Education system in particular.
“It opens the payroll up to unilateral manipulations and all manners of fraud beyond the control of the managements of our institutions.
” It has eroded the power and authority of Provosts and governing councils to employ as the office of the Head of Service determines who and when to employ.
“IPPIS contravenes global best practices in the management of tertiary institutions and disrespects the peculiarities of the COE system.
“The President also needs to address the unlawful sack of governing councils in violation of their statutory tenure of three years and contravention of the FCE Establishment Act.
“We urge President Bola Tinubu to revisit the issue of IPPIS in the interest justice and industrial harmony,” the COEASU President stated.
Reacting to the suspension of the planned deduction of 40 per cent Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of tertiary education institutions, Olugbeko lauded President Bola Tinubu for discarding the idea.
“While we knew absolutely that the policy would not stand as we were poised to resist it with all legitimate powers we possess as a Trade Union in the sector, we must acknowledge the sense of good reason, listening disposition, democratic ethos and responsible leadership shown by the president.
” We commend the President in suspending the policy without allowing the situation to degenerate into unnecessary face-off between labour and government.
“With this gesture, it seems to us that our Union has eventually found a government that is compatible in disposition to our Union towards alternative dispute resolution approach through constructive engagement.
“Nonetheless, we urge the President to go a step further by deploying this promising disposition to urgently address the challenges of funding in the College of Education system and other tiers of the tertiary education sector altogether.
“We call on the President to always ensure that issues raised by labour are proactively dealt with through social dialogue and collective bargaining.
“By so doing, we can together ensure industrial tranquillity and uninterrupted academic calendar in our institutions,” he said.
