Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, representing Anambra South Senatorial District, announced that the Nigerian Senate has adopted his motion calling for an urgent investigation into the alarming cases of payment delays and allegations of corruption associated with the capturing and payment of newly recruited staff of Federal Universities under the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
In his motion, Senator Ubah highlighted the introduction of IPPIS by the Federal Government in 2006 as a reform measure aimed at improving efficiency and eliminating ghost workers. However, he expressed concerns that the system has caused hardship for many families, particularly affecting staff recruited between 2020 and the present year, as their data has not been captured on IPPIS.
The use of IPPIS in federal universities was a contentious issue between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) during the recently suspended strike. ASUU recommended the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as an alternative payment system for the university system.
Senator Ubah emphasized the need for an investigation into the irregularities, bribery allegations, corruption, and delayed capturing and payment of salaries in federal universities. He urged the Senate to establish a committee to examine the conflict of interest between the Federal Government and ASUU and recommend the way forward.
Following the motion, the Senate resolved to refer the matter to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education for investigation. The committee will examine allegations of bribery and corruption involving IPPIS officials at various universities, address delayed capturing and non-payment of staff recruited since 2020, and provide a report on the disagreement between the Federal Government and ASUU regarding the preferred payment system for Nigerian university staff.
Senator Ifeanyi Ubah assured his constituents that he will continue to protect their interests and work towards resolving the challenges faced by staff in federal universities.
