A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Haruna Yerima, has commended President Bola Tinubu for exempting universities and polytechnics from the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) payment platform.
Professor Yerima also urged Mr Tinubu to be magnanimous in paying up the eight-month salary arrears of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) withheld by the Federal Government.
The academic in an interview with journalists on Thursday said the removal of tertiary institutions from IPPIS would bolster academic independence and spur productivity for the growth of the nation.
On Wednesday, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided by President Bola Tinubu exempted universities, polytechnics, colleges of education,among others from IPPIS.
This was announced by the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Maman, after the cabinet meeting held at the Council Chambers of the State House Abuja.
The president said the removal will enable efficiency and ensure autonomy of the ivory towers. The FEC also directed vice chancellors to directly recruit their staff without recourse to the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (OHSOF).
On October 20, 2023, exactly one year after ASUU called off its eight months strike, President Tinubu approved the payment of four of their eight-month withheld salaries. However, the four months salary arrears have not been paid yet.
His predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, withheld the university lecturers’ salary under the ‘No work, no pay’ policy.
Professor Yerima said President Tinubu’s actions will stabilize the academic community and foster a robust synergy between the academics and the federal government.
“President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima understand and appreciate the academic community very well and have so far deployed cute-edge mechanisms capable of enhancing teaching and research as well as smoothening the hitherto rough relationship between ASUU and the federal government,” Professor Yerima has said.
The don, who was House of Representatives member from 2003 to 2007, said IPPIS has been a cog in the wheel of progress of the academia, and has resulted into an intermittent conflict between the union and the government, leading to serious wastages in teaching, research and learning.
Professor Yerima urged Mr Tinubu to pay up the salary arrears of the lecturers, “to cushion the effect of the ongoing economic reforms being undertaken by the current administration.”
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