Integrated payroll system won’t affect autonomy –FG

Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Jonah Otunla

The Federal Government has said the planned introduction of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System will not impede the autonomy of the universities.

The Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Jonah Otunla, gave the assurance on Monday in Owerri at a meeting with top officials from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; and the Federal University, Ndufu-Alike.

The IPPIS is a new initiative of the Federal Government to enhance planning and budgeting,  especially on personnel.

Otunla’s assurance came against the backdrop of fears expressed by university communities that the IPPIS programme might not be able to address some of their peculiarities.

Some of the issues, according to them,  have to do with sabbatical, contract appointment, visiting and part-time lecturers, promotions, and honorary consultants lecturers.

For instance, the Vice-Chancellor of FUTO, Prof. Chigozie Asiabaka, during the meeting, said the initiative might affect the autonomy enjoyed by tertiary institutions to employ their personnel directly.

He said, “IPPIS is something that has been thorny anytime we talk about it at the VC meeting because of the uniqueness of the university system.”

But the AGF, represented by the Director, Finance and Account, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mrs. Fatima Mede, said the project  would facilitate storage, updating and retrieval of information for administrative pension processes and convenient staff remuneration payment.

He said 212,750 employees of government were currently  on the platform, noting that the government had begun moves to ensure that the remaining 22 agencies of government joined the platform.”