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- Commend Tinubu’s decision on IGRs remittances
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Academic staff in Colleges of Education (CoEs) under the umbrella of College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) have asked President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to review the inclusion of CoEs in the government payroll administration platform, Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
The Union stated that inclusion of its members in the IPPIS platform has undermined 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.
Its President, Dr. Smart Olugbeko, said in a statement, on Monday, that the IPPIS is exposed unilateral manipulations and all manners of fraud beyond the control of the managements of the schools. “It has eroded the power and authority of Provosts and Governing Councils to recruit new staff, as the Office of the Head of Service determines who and when to recruit new staff.
“IPPIS, undoubtedly, contravenes global best practices in the management of tertiary institutions and disrespect the peculiarities of the CoEs system. In addition to that, it has continued to defraud us as we have thousands of cases of short-payment, outright non-payment, unlawful delay and/or withholding of third party deductions, just to mention but few.”
He urged President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to revisit the issue of IPPIS in the interest justice and industrial harmony.
The Union leader also commended the President for his recent decision to suspend the policy directing tertiary institutions including Colleges of Education to start remitting 40 per cent of its Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) to the federal treasury.
“With this gesture, it seems we have eventually found a Government that is compatible in disposition to our Union towards alternative dispute resolution approach through constructive engagement, social dialogue and proactive bargaining characterised by mutual respect and pliability to superior logic.
“Nonetheless, we request that the President go a step further to address the challenges of funding in the College of Education system and other tiers of the tertiary education sector altogether.
“He should also 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.
