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Strike: Subject IPPIS, UTAS, U3PS To Integrity Test, Buhari Orders NITDA
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to subject the Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and the two other proposed payment solutions proposed by university workers to integrity test.
This is as the Federal Government is making efforts towards ensuring that the Consequential Adjustment/minimum wage arrears are paid to the striking university workers this week in order to persuade them call off the ongoing strike.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the non-teaching staff Joint Action Committee (JAC), comprising the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), have lamented that they were being shortchanged in their salary payment since the government introduced IPPIS as the official payment platform.
As an alternative, ASUU proposed to the government the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS), while SSANU and NASU on their own, proposed the University Peculiar Personnel and Payroll System (U3PS).
SSANU and NASU claimed that the proposed U3PSaccommodate the peculiarities in the Nigerian University system as it handles all employees’ financial records in a hassle-free, automated fashion.
The peculiarities include employees’ salaries, bonuses, deductions, net pay, generation of pay-advice and other financial reports using accounting best practices and also seek to essentially automate those micro administrative tasks performed by accountant general office and bursars of federal institutions, thereby giving the office the mental bandwidth to focus on the macro.
In a tripartite plus meeting attended by the leadership of the university-based unions, including the National Association of Academic Technologist (NAAT), the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige and other relevant stakeholders, at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Buhari directed NITDA to subject the three payment solutions to integrity test.
The tripartite plus meeting chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, gave NITDA three weeks to carry out the integrity test and report back the results.
A source at the meeting hinted that the Chief of Staff during the closed-door session pleaded with the university unions to go back to their duty posts while discussions will be ongoing to address all their concerns but the workers were adamant insisting that the strike would only be called off when the Federal Government honours agreement reached.
However, a source at the meeting said that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, was mounting pressure to the relevant government agencies to ensure that some of the contentious issues are addressed as soon as possible.
The source said, “we rebuffed all the plea by the Chief of Staff for us to call off the strike. There was nothing on the table for us to do so. However, we heard that the Minister of Labour is making effort to ensure that the minimum wage arrears and the consequential adjustment are paid. We are waiting.
“We know that the minister is trying his best to conciliate but after memorandum of understanding and memorandum of action are entered into, the government will fail to implement them and will turn back to blame the unions.”
The Renewed Hope Initiative in conjunction with the Rivers State Government has empowered 500 elderly citizens in Rivers State with financial support of N200,000 each.
The empowerment programme was part of activities to celebrate the third anniversary of the Renewed Hope Initiative Elderly Support Scheme RHIESS, a social investment policy initiated by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Speaking at the event which held at the Government House, Port Harcourt, recently, under the theme, ‘Finding Joy in Old Age,’ Senator Tinubu said the gesture which has become traditional since 2023 was a mark of gratitude in recognition of the invaluable contributions of the senior citizens to nation building.
The First Lady who was represented by the wife of the Rivers State Governor and State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Lady Valerie Fubara, said the scheme was to “support two hundred and fifty (250) vulnerable elderly citizens aged 65 and above in all the 36 states of the federation, the Federal Capital Territory, and veterans from the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) totalling 9,500 selected beneficiaries across the nation.
She urged the beneficiaries to engage in activities that will make them find joy in old age.
“I encourage you to continue playing your part by staying healthy and active, nurture both your body and mind through regular exercise and meaningful engagement,” Senator Tinubu advised.
On her part, Lady Fubara said the State Government through the magnanimity of the governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has increased the beneficiaries of the programme from 250 to 500.
She restated the commitment of the State Government towards provision of social welfare and improving the standard of living of the elderly in the State.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), Dr Vetty Agala, said the State Government has through the Health4allrivers Initiative, introduced free medical care for senior citizens in the State, in line with the Renewed Hope Initiative.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council, has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to expedite the prosecution of the Director of the now distressed MBA Forex Trading, Mr. Maxwell Odum, in the interest of justice.
The Rivers State NUJ made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the EFFC’s Ag. Zonal Director, ACE Hassan Saidu, in Port Harcourt, recently.
The council’s chairman, Comrade Paul Bazia, said the appeal became imperative after it considered the number of Nigerians and others involved in the financial misconduct.
According to him, it has caused hardship among many households in the country and should be given the attention it deserves.
He said that investors cannot come into a country or invest in an economy or nation ridden with fraud.
This, he said, has made it more imperative to arrest, prosecute and convict alleged fraudsters like the MBA Forex Director, who is alleged to have defrauded thousands of unsuspecting Nigerians, to serve as a deterrent to others.
The chairman also requested that while the trial lasts, part of the swindled funds should be given to the victims that suffered loss and trauma as a result of the fraud.
The NUJ reiterated its resolve to change the narrative of reportage from crisis to developmental communication.
According to him, the NUJ’s main focus is blue economy and tourism.
He expressed the readiness of the Council to partner the agency in the area of information dissemination.
“We believe you have a responsibility to fight financial crimes. We also know that you need the Press to publicize your activities and NUJ can provide that,” he said.
Responding, the Zonal EFFC’s boss commended the NUJ’s vision to change the narrative of reporting from crisis to developmental communication.
According to Saidu, the Western world have since imbibed such culture, hence the negative stories about them are carefully sifted to allow only positive ones to be released to the outside world.
As for the trapped funds to be released, the EFCC Zonal Director stated that only the court can authorize such action, stressing that the primary responsibility of the Commission is to arrest and prosecute.
He pledged to partner with the NUJ now that the leadership has visited the Commission.
The Head of the Legal & Prosecution Department, DCE Odiase Stephen, corroborated the Zonal Director’s position and stressed that it was only when the matter has been determined by the court that such funds can be released.
He further stated that once a matter is before a court of competent jurisdiction, it cannot be discussed outside.
By: King Onunwor
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