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FG Implementing IPPIS With $140bn Loan, ASUU Alleges

Published

6 years ago

March 13, 2020

The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said, yesterday, that the Federal Government was implementing the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) with a loan of about $140billion.
The National President of the union, Prof. Biodun Ogumyemi, who discussed this at a meeting with the leadership of the House of Representatives, said the union was opposed to the IPPIS because it will limit universities and reduce them to mere local universities which cannot attract foreign scholars.
He said that since 2013 when the platform was first introduced to members of the union, they made their position clear to government on why the policy cannot work and agreeing with the government to set up a joint committee to come out with a workable platform.
According to him, since the joint committee was set up, the union did not hear from the government until July, 2019, when the government came up with threats because they had made up their mind in what to do.
He said the union has challenged the government to tell them any country in the world where the IPPIS is used in the university system, saying “it is just about us. They have said that our opposition to IPPIS meant we are encouraging corruption. But we are the ones that always told them that they are reneging on their responsibility.”
However, the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), yesterday, frowned at the attempt by the National Assembly to single out lecturers for sexual harassment legislation.
The Zonal Coordinator, Akure Zone of the union, Comrade Olu-Olu Olufayo at a press conference in Akure, also insisted that the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) is a scam.
Olufayo was flanked by other university chairpersons, which include, Comrade Adeola Egbedokun of OAU, Comrade Akinyemi Omonijo of FUOYE, Comrade ‘Yinka Awopetu of FUTA, and Comrade Kayode Arogundade of EKSU.
The union said that “ASUU condemns, in totality, all forms of sexual harassment, no matter its origin.
“However, the Union strongly opposes any form of deliberate effort or attempt by the National Assembly to single out lecturers for sexual harassment legislation, as if such does not happen in other sections of the society.
“Such an attempt violates the rule of jurisprudence which says that laws should not be made against specific or targeted individuals or a group”.
On the controversial IPPIS, the union said, “ASUU will not its members to be railroaded into enrolling in this scam called IPPIS because of its apparent deficiencies.
“IPPIS also runs counter of the Universities Miscellaneous Provision Act (as amended).
“It is nothing but a fraud, which allows the enrollment of ghost workers”.
Olutafo, however, noted “with dismay the level of insecurity in the country was becoming alarming and unbearable.
“ASUU is of the opinion that militancy, banditry, herdsmen/farmers clashes, and insurgency are becoming rife and overwhelming on the security apparatus of the nation.
“It, therefore, calls for an urgent overhauling and re-jigging of the security architecture of the country”.
On the state of infrastructure, “ASUU calls for an immediate review of the promises made by the government to address the dilapidated and deplorable infrastructures and the bad state of education in Nigeria and demands that such should be respected.
“As things stand now, students are made to learn under inhumane conditions. This is in spite of all the efforts of ASUU to bring to the fore, all the inherent physical problems being experienced by the students.
“The situation has been made worse by apparent government meddlesomeness in the day to day administration of the universities.
“The attempt to erode universities’ autonomy makes them incapable of performing optimally in teaching, research, and rendering of services.
“This is evident in the forceful introduction on our universities the obnoxious Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS)”.
The union, however, lamented that “the government has rejected the cost-free and effective alternative platform, University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), being developed by ASUU.
Olufayo noted that “our union concluded that Nigeria is presently caught in the midst of suffocating socio-economic challenges which must urgently be addressed.
“ASUU is, therefore, calling for the populace to take power back to the real owners of the resources, that is, the working people of Nigeria.
“Having comprehensively reviewed the outstanding issues in the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement, the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and the 2017 Memorandum of Action (MoA), as well as the pussy-footing attitude of government on the obnoxious and fraudulent IPPIS programme, which have not been addressed”, we think that this is the best option.
Olufayo added that, “The Akure Zone of ASUU aligns itself with the decision of ASUU NEC to prosecute the two weeks warning strike to force the government to live up to its responsibilities”.
Meanwhile, the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has urged the Federal Government to act immediately to resolve the dispute with the university lecturers to avoid another long disruption in the academic activities in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
TUC’s concern came just as the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has insisted that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) did not notify the Ministry of Labour before embarking on the two-week warning strike, last Tuesday.
Ngige, who spoke when the TUC leadership paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja, yesterday, cautioned the lecturers that they may risk losing salary for the two weeks of the warning strike for embarking on an illegal exercise.
The TUC President, Quadiri Olaleye, who led members of the union’s national executive committee to a meeting with Ngige, said they came to express concern on various issues affecting workers and Nigerians.
He said that the union is worried about the current state of the economy, particularly with the recent plunge in the international oil price.
He advised that the federal government should do everything necessary to resolve the dispute with ASUU so as not to allow it to degenerate and further create more crisis in the country.
ASUU and the Federal Government team yesterday commence deliberation on their dispute.

News

US Embassy, Lagos Consulate Close Today For President’s Day

Published

16 hours ago

February 16, 2026

The Tide

The United States Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos will be closed today, in observance of Presidents’ Day.

The mission made this known in a notice shared on its official X page, yesterday.

“The U.S. Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos will be closed on Monday, February 16, 2026, in observance of Presidents’ Day,” the post read.

According to the embassy, Presidents’ Day was originally established to honour the birthday of the former US President, George Washington, but has evolved into a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents and their leadership in shaping the country’s history.

The embassy noted that the holiday also recognises the influence of U.S. presidents on global affairs.

In a related message, the mission highlighted that Washington created the first “Badge of Military Merit,” which later became the Purple Heart. The medal still bears Washington’s image today.

Presidents’ Day is observed on the third Monday of February annually in the United States as a federal holiday.

News

Guterres Backs Nigeria’s Bid For UN Security Council Seat …Hails Tinubu’s Reforms, Regional Security Role

Published

16 hours ago

February 16, 2026

The Tide

United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has charged Nigeria with spearheading Africa’s quest for a restructured global order, describing the country as uniquely positioned to lead the continent toward superpower status.

Guterres, who backed Nigeria’s bid for the world body’s security council seat, also praised the economic reforms of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration as well as Nigeria’s leadership in stabilising the Sahel and ECOWAS regions, despite facing its own security challenges.

The UN scribe made the remarks last Friday night during a high-level bilateral meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima on the sidelines of the 39th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Speaking during the meeting, Guterres said Nigeria’s large population, sustained democratic governance, vast natural and human resources, and longstanding commitment to multilateralism placed it in a unique position to lead Africa in the evolving global order.

“Given Nigeria’s demographic strength, democratic continuity and deep resource base, the country stands a real chance of leading Africa to becoming the next superpower in the evolving global architecture,” he said.

The UN Secretary-General and the vice president discussed key developments in Nigeria and the country’s expanding leadership role in promoting regional stability across West Africa and the Sahel.

Guterres commended the remarkable and outstanding reforms of the administration of President Tinubu, noting that Nigeria’s bold economic restructuring and security commitments have strengthened its continental standing.

The meeting focused on strengthening Nigeria–UN collaboration to advance global economic growth, peace and security, sustainable development, and a coordinated humanitarian response across Africa.

In his remarks, Shettima thanked the UN Secretary-General for his leadership in advancing global peace, noting that Africa has benefited immensely from his tenure, even as the United Nations undergoes internal restructuring.

“We remain committed to multilateralism and to deepening our partnerships with the United Nations and other global institutions,” the vice president said.

Shettima also reiterated Nigeria’s longstanding call for comprehensive reform of the United Nations system to reflect evolving global realities.

He emphasised that Africa must have stronger representation in global decision-making structures and declared that Nigeria deserves a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Both leaders pledged to deepen cooperation, with Guterres reaffirming the UN’s support for Nigeria’s reform agenda and its growing leadership role in advancing peace, security, and development across Africa.

News

Four To Face Death Penalty Over DPO Angbashim’s Murder

Published

16 hours ago

February 16, 2026

The Tide

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has convicted and sentenced four persons to death by hanging over the gruesome killing of the former Divisional Police Officer of Ahoada East Police Division, SP Bako Angbashim.

The presiding Judge, Justice Sika Aprioku, in a landmark judgment, last Thursday, found the quartet guilty of conspiracy, murder, membership of a secret cult group and robbery, saying the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Those sentenced to death by hanging are Robinson Sonabari, identified as a native doctor; Bright Okparawo; Precious Amaeze, popularly known as Selina; and Loveday Jack, also known as Ragged Excess. The court ordered that they be hanged by the neck until they are confirmed dead.

Justice Aprioku also convicted the sixth defendant, Samuel Nwadinma, and sentenced him to three years imprisonment for conspiracy.

The third accused person was, however, discharged and acquitted of the four-count charge.

In the same vein, the court discharged Famous Okechukwu, Samuel Uchendu, Oyekachi Ikonwa, Godbless Nnamdi and Marshall Daniel, who were earlier found guilty of membership of a secret cult group, on the grounds that they had already served the maximum terms prescribed by law in the correctional facility.

The court held that among those convicted was the native doctor who allegedly prepared the charm used in the killing of the late DPO.

Speaking with newsmen shortly after the judgment, the lead prosecution counsel from the Rivers State Ministry of Justice, Chigozie Amadi, alongside a representative of the police legal team, Celestine Dickson, commended the judiciary for ensuring that justice was served.

Dickson, who represented the Nigeria Police Force in the joint prosecution, expressed concern that officers saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives and property had increasingly become targets of criminal elements.

He, however, expressed optimism that the judgment would serve as a strong deterrent to would-be offenders.

Also reacting, the elder brother of the late DPO, Akasco Angbashim, who travelled from Nasarawa State to witness the judgment, said the verdict had healed a long-standing wound inflicted on the family since the brutal murder of their brother.

He commended the judiciary, the Rivers State Government and the police for their commitment to justice, stressing that the judgment sends a clear message that no individual has the right to unlawfully take another person’s life.

The four convicts were among 72 persons initially arraigned before the State High Court by a joint prosecution team comprising the Department of Public Prosecutions and the Rivers State Police Command over the murder.

During the trial, 61 accused persons, including the Eze Ekpeye Logbo, Eze Kelvin Anugwo, and a former Ahoada East Council Chairman, Cassidy Ikegbidi, were discharged and acquitted for lack of evidence, leaving 13 defendants to face judgment.

SP Angbashim was gruesomely murdered on September 8, 2023, during a police operation in Odemude community, Ahoada East Local Government Area.

His killing sparked tension in the area, prompting a joint security operation that led to the death of the suspected cult leader, David Okparanwo, popularly known as 2Baba.

By: King Onunwor