TheCable

The senate on Wednesday resolved to investigate the delay in the payment of salaries of some university lecturers recruited in the year 2020.

The resolution of the upper legislative chamber followed a motion by Ifeanyi Ubah, senator representing Anambra south.

While moving his motion, Ubah alleged that sharp practices by the staff of the integrated payroll and personnel information system (IPPIS) may have caused the delay in the payment of salaries of the affected lecturers.

“While the government insisted that IPPIS remains the best personnel records and payroll management system to be used for storage of records and management of payroll of university staff, the union took a different position, recommending the university transparency and accountability solution (UTAS) as an alternative that is most suitable for universities particularly,” he said.

“While the government and ASUU were unable to reach an agreement regarding which of the two payment platforms to be adopted for the management of university staff payroll.

“Recent allegations of bribery, corruption and delayed capturing and payment of some university staff recruited as far back as in 2020 through the IPPIS have called for urgent investigation of those irregularities.

“Some of the affected staff cutting across many universities have been alleged to bribe IPPIS officials for the purpose of getting captured on the platform.”

Commenting on the motion, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the country’s educational system must be prioritised.

“When we don’t put the educational system right, it means we will be increasing insecurity in the future because of the kind of products that will come out from the various universities,” Akpabio said.

“When the teachers are not happy, their output will also be limited and this will impede the growth of education in the country.”