President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday declared that any institution or individual that opposes the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System will be viewed as economic Saboteur.
It should be noted that a few hours ago, the Federal Government paid the January salaries of the staff of Federal Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education in a swift effort to avert a nationwide strike billed to commence on February 3, 2020 should the threat to stop the lecturers’ salaries be carried out over failure to enrol in the IPPIS.
President Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Ali Pantami, said this in a speech at the 29th convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology that the policy “is irreversible”.
According to him: “Nigeria is currently besetted with multifaceted challenges and we are equally adopting a multi-pronged approach in order to combat them.
“Our effort is appreciable and the successes recorded so far are also encouraging.
“Some of the solutions we have adopted may come with pains, but we are resolute and confident that in the end our country will be a better place for all.
“Just as we are diversifying our economy, tapping into our strings of revenue to revamp our economy, we have also remained resolute in ensuring that we plug the loopholes in public finance so as to eliminate fraud and retrieve funds which can be used to address challenges such as infrastructural deficit and unemployment.
“It is for this reason that my administration gave a directive that every employee of the Federal Government of Nigeria, including the federal universities, must be enrolled in the IPPIS.
“This decision, as mindful as its sectoral policy is, is irreversible and as such any opposition to this directive is an unwelcome tendency towards economic sabotage.”
President Buhari said the government would continue to revamp the education sector to make it deliver quality education to Nigerians, which is why the second largest allocation of N150 billion was allocated to the sector in addition to another N272 billion to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.
In his speech, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Abdullahi Bala, said 168 students were withdrawn from the institution during the academic year “for various reasons bordering on poor academic performance mid conduct and abscondment”.
Among those shown the exit doors were 120 undergraduate and 48 postgraduate students, Bala said, describing the action “as very painful but necessary” for the growth of the university.
He expressed the hope that the decision “will send a message to the students that we expect the best from them as much as possible”.
He disclosed that at the maiden edition of the university’s Founders Day, over 400 students in various categories, including high academic performance (CGPA 4.5 and above), good conduct and attraction of laurels to the University received the Vice Chancellor’s award.
He added that 4,502 students graduated at the ceremony, with 3,597 receiving their first degrees, 629 Masters degree and 94 doctoral degrees.
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