IPPIS Was A Monster Impeding Varsities’ Dev’t Before Reversal, Says UNIMAID VC

The Vice Chancellor, University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Borno State, Prof. Aliyu Shugaba, has described the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) as a monster that impeded the smooth running of the Universities in the country before its reversal.

He said the platform affected payment of salaries and leave grants, among others, to Professors, senior and junior staff of Universities before the federal government ordered the removal of the application from universities and other tertiary institutions.

Prof. Shugaba, who will be retiring on June 3, 2024, as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, stated this at an interactive session with journalists at the El-Kanemi Hall of the University.

UNIMAID had organised a week-long programme in honour of Prof Shugaba, which included a special Juma’at prayer, church service, public lecture and tour of numerous projects, to herald his retirement from the University and end of his tenure as VC.

The Vice Chancellor noted that due to the introduction of the IPPIS by the Federal Government, UNIMAID stopped paying leave grants, salaries and other emoluments from February 20, 2020, adding that after complaining about the payment system by staff of tertiary institutions in the country, the National Assembly looked into it and made a case for its stoppage, before the federal government eventually removed the Universities and other tertiary institutions from the payment system.

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“Truly, the IPPIS was a very good means of managing the payment of emoluments and every other remuneration for staff, but unfortunately, I don’t know what happened and it turned to something that was more like a monster to every single staff of the University.

“A number of Professors were being owed salaries of two to 12 months without any reason. When the University was paying salaries of staff, nobody complained of his salary, where there was a complaint, the problem would be resolved within a month. The Bursar was always there to address issues and they were being addressed squarely, but with the IPPIS, if anything happened to your salary as a staff then, the Bursar may not be able to address your case. It is very clear now to every Nigerian that that system of payment is not realistic,” Prof. Shugaba stated.

The outgoing VC said despite the Boko Haram insurgency threat that faced the University during his tenure, UNIMAID made modest achievements in different sectors, including security, administration, infrastructural development, academic programmes and activities; partnerships, linkages and community relations, among others, which earned the institution many accolades from within and outside the country.

“During my five-year tenure, we completed some and executed numerous other projects, some of which include; appropriation, TETFund and IGR projects which comprised construction of new structures, equipment and facilities and facelifting of many others.

“The major ones are; construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of 20km of roads and drainages through appropriation and needs intervention; construction of Centre for Violent Extremism; construction, furnishing and equipping of Department of Biochemistry; construction of two blocks of hostel in the medical college ongoing; rehabilitation of more than 75 houses (staff quarters); rehabilitation of academic facilities/hostels, among other numerous projects,” Prof. Shugaba added.