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Tag: IPPIS

  • Half salary payment for ASUU: Gbajabiamila calls for calm

    Half salary payment for ASUU: Gbajabiamila calls for calm

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has urged members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to remain calm over their claim of half salary payment by the Federal Government.

    In a statement he personally signed in Abuja on Monday, the Speaker noted that efforts to find lasting solutions to the concerns frequently raised by ASUU were ongoing.

    He said President Muhammadu Buhari had indicated interest to wade into the latest concerns raised by the union.

    “When the ASUU called off its industrial action three weeks ago, it meant that academic activities could resume in our nation’s public universities,” he said.

    He said the executive and the House of Reps had worked to address the issues that led to the strike, adding that the House is currently working on the 2023 Appropriations Bill.

    This, according to him, includes N170 billion to provide a level of increment in the welfare package of university lecturers.

    He said the bill included additional N300 billion revitalisation fund to improve the infrastructure and operations of the federal universities.

    “Furthermore, the House of Reps has convened the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), ASUU and other stakeholders to facilitate the adoption of elements of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS),” he said.

    He said the effort was being supervised by the Chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education, Rep. Aminu Suleiman.

    Gbajabiamila, however, noted that the position taken by the executive that it is not obligated to pay salaries to lecturers for the time spent on strike is premised on the law.

    He said the decision was also premised on the government’s legitimate interest in preventing moral hazard and discouraging disruptive industrial actions.

    The speaker said that intervention had been made to explore the possibility of partial payments to the lecturers, adding that it looked forward to a favourable consideration by the president.

    He said  Buhari had manifested his desire to what was prudent and necessary to resolve all outstanding issues.

    Gbajabiamila said the house is convening a national summit on Tertiary Education Reform, adding that it had called for papers and memoranda from members of the public.

    He said submissions received as well as expert presentations at the summit would inform the policy recommendations and actions.

  • ASUU appeals to FG on IPPIS

    ASUU appeals to FG on IPPIS

    The Academic Staff Union of the Universities (ASUU) has appealed to the Federal Government to reconsider its stance on using Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) for paying its members’ salaries.

    Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, President ASUU, said this at a meeting with Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and other stakeholders in Abuja on Monday.

    He said that IPPIS would not accommodate peculiarity allowances in university lecturers pay.

    Osodeke urged the government to consider the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS)platform for the payment of lecturers salaries.

    “There is no way IPPIS can represent the universities, the greatest problem university has is funding. No university can invest again because of Treasury Single Account(TSA),” he said.

    He said the union called off its strike based on trust, adding that the country’s education was in dire need of human resources.

    “If there is a problem in payment you challenge the university to produce one. We were challenged in 2020 by the minister of Labour and we produced it.

    “In a normal country when there is a problem you go to the university to develop and not to go outside,” he said.

    Mr Sylva Okolieaboh, the acting, Accountant General of the Federation, commended the speaker for the meeting, promising to explore the possibilities of incorporating the university lecturers peculiarities allowances in IPPIS.

    He urged ASUU to allow the issue to be laid to rest in the interest of the students, urging the union to present a comprehensive list of its peculiarity allowances for clearance in the nearest possible time.

    “We will sit down with ASUU and look at what could be done and the material peculiarities that ASUU was complaining about.

    “For the past 20 years all I do in the AGF is reform. I want the leadership of ASUU to please trust us and with the commitment of the National Assembly and executive IPPIS will live up to expectation.

    He said that contrary to speculations, IPPIS was designed locally by Oracle saying it was the best at the moment.

    Speaking, Gbajabiamila, expressed optimism that peace would return to Nigerian universities soon.

    “Yes, you may have issues on IPPIS and this is what we are trying to address by bringing in UTAS into IPPIS so that we will not have issues. The agreement wasn’t a stop gap measure but to bring UTAs to IPPIS,” he said.

    On the issue of funding, the speaker said that the ASUU’s fear had been addressed in the budget, adding that the House has a legwork that about 500billion was included for ASUU in the budget.

    “I have written to the Ministry of Finance on the panel report. We are taking this one at a time. I don’t want us to go back.

    “A lot has been achieve and you have been committed enough to go back to the classroom and we will continue to work based on trust,” he said.

    He called for a timeline that would be acceptable to ASUU to accommodate its peculiarity allowances on the IPPIS.

    Gabjabiamila said the House plans to hold a summit on universities to address issues raised by ASUU on funding.

  • Strike: FG cautions ASUU for disobeying court order

    Strike: FG cautions ASUU for disobeying court order

    The Federal Government has cautioned the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over disobeying the order of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) to call off its ongoing strike.

    Dr Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, gave the advice in a statement signed by Mr Olajide Oshundun, the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, in the ministry on Sunday in Abuja.

    “The union is dishonest and misleading its members and the general public, that it has filed an appeal as well has a stay of execution of the order of NICN on Sept. 2, though it has none of this.

    “Rather, ASUU only filed an application for a permission to appeal the order. It also attached to the application, a proposed notice of appeal which it intends to file if the leave to appeal is granted.

    “The application for a stay of execution as of this moment has not even been listed for hearing. Where then is ASUU coming from?

    “It is therefore contemptuous, dishonest and misleading for the union to tell its members that it has not only appealed the interlocutory injunction by the NICN, directing it to call off strike and return to work, but that it also has a stay of execution,’’ he said.

    Ngige therefore described the new directive by ASUU, exhorting its members to continue with the action as an unwarranted lawlessness, noting that “the Federal Government strongly frowns at this”.

    The minister advised the striking lecturers to cease taking laws into its hands by directing its members to continue with the 8-month old strike.

    According to him, this is in defiance of the interlocutory injunction by the NICN which restrained the union from further action.

    He accused the leadership of the union of misinforming and misleading its members and warned of consequences of contempt of court order.

    Ngige reiterated government call to the union to respect the court order and return to work, while negotiations are concluded on the remaining issues in contention.

    The statement also denied reports that the minister walked out on the meeting between the House of Representatives and ASUU on Sept. 29.

    It said the minister left the meeting to attend to other pressing matters  with the permission of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, after making his presentation.

    It stated that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation was earlier granted such permission by the Speaker.

    The statement further recalled that at that meeting, Ngige addressed the two major issues over which ASUU is still on strike.

    It said, according to the minister, “on renegotiation of salaries and wages of lecturers, I sympathise with ASUU just like other Nigerian workers.

    “The economy is bad and hard time, biting hard on everybody. ASUU deserves no blame.

    “The Briggs Committee was the product of reconciliation of my ministry, which had to move to the ASUU’s direct employers  – Ministry of Education for a Collective Bargaining Agreement, so we can arrive on what is good to be paid to ASUU, subject to approval by the President

    “The President has a Presidential Committee on Salaries and Wages chaired by the Minister of Finance, with myself as co-chair and other members – National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, Budget Office, etc.

    “Every MDA, whether drawing from the treasury or not, must pass through this committee on any issue concerning salaries for approval, before transmission to the President. The report of the Briggs Committee did not unfortunately pass this route.”

    It said that Ngige also revealed that when the issue of  payment platform – UTAS – came up, he persuaded the President to “give the platform a trial in the spirit of Executive Order 3 and 4, and the SGF supported me”.

    “If the system is good, we adopt it for the whole country, but meanwhile the hardware is not there. How do you do it?

    “The test – the three of them – IPPIS, UTAS, UPPPS – have failed the test. Do you recommend something that has failed a test? So, no matter how I love ASUU, I won’t support something that failed a test.’’

  • Strike: ASUU, FG react to ruling ordering resumption of schools

    Strike: ASUU, FG react to ruling ordering resumption of schools

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says it is waiting for its lawyers for professional advice, following the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) order restraining it from continuing with strike.

    The President of the Union, Mr Emmanuel Osodeke, disclosed this in a telephone interview in Abuja on Wednesday.

    Recall that the union had embarked on the industrial action to press home improved academic environment and welfare of members.

    Some of the lecturers demands are funding of the Revitalisation of Public Universities, Earned Academic Allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) and promotion arrears.

    Others are the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FG Agreement and the inconsistency in Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System.

    The strike has entered its seventh month the Federal  Government instituted a suit before the court to halt it to enable students resume.

    This followed the failure of government and the union to reach workable agreements.

    However, students through the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) have embarked on protests by blocking entrance to the International Airport Lagos and have threatened to block other major roads, if the demands were not met by government.

    The NICN granted the order pending the determination of the substantive suit before the court, at the instance of the Minister of Labour and Employment, pursuant to his powers, as provided in Section 17 of the Trade Dispute Act, 2004, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

    Ruling on the application brought by the Federal Government, the applicant/claimant, Justice Polycarp Hamman held that since the issues in dispute have been referred to the court, ordered ASUU (the defendants) not to take part in any further strike, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

    According to Hamman, the argument of Femi Falana SAN, the counsel to the defendants that the act of the applicants had been concluded is of no moment and flies in the face of Exhibit 2 dated Aug. 29, 2022.

    Attached to the affidavit in support of the application where the defendants communicated to the Minister of Labour and Employment, their decision to rollover the strike to a comprehensive indefinite and total strike, beginning from 12.01 am on Aug. 29, 2022.

    Hamman noted that as the time of reading his ruling on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, the strike action embarked upon by the defendants on Feb. 14, 2022, had not ended.

    He maintained that workers cannot go on strike when relevant sections of the TDA have been complied with by the Minister of Labour in conciliating a labour dispute.

    He praised the minister for acting in national interest by referring the matter to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.

    While noting that the balance of convenience is crucial to determining an application for interlocutory injunction, Hamman stated that the balance of convenience tilts in favour of the claimants who own the universities and taken into consideration the interest of the students, whose parents cannot afford private universities in Nigeria or abroad.

    He insisted that the strike inflicted irreparable damage to public university education in the country, lamenting that university students have been out of school for eight months in a country where age is considered for employment and enrollment into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Nigerian Army, Air Force, Navy and and paramilitary organisations.

    Justice Hamman dismissed the claim by the defendants counsel that the strike was prompted by serial breach of agreement by the Federal Government, saying since the matter has been referred to the Industrial Court by the Minister of Labour and Employment, the defendants are mandated by the law not to engage in any further strike, pending the determination of the substantive matter.

    He said: “Section 18 Subsection 1 of the TDA, 2004, connotes an obligation, which is mandatory and leaves no room for discretion.

    “Section 18 (2) criminalises any contravention of 18(1) and imposes the fine of N100 or imprisonment for six months for an individual and N1000 for a corporate body.

    “In this circumstance and on the strength of Section 254.6.(1) b of the constitution, Section 18(1) e of the TDA, Section 7(1) e, 16 and 19 b of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria Act 2006, I hold that this application is meritorious and same is hereby granted.”

    Justice Hamman further held that the rephrase by Falana that the court should grant accelerated hearing of the application in place of injunctive relief “is of no moment”, going by the rules of the court.

    He maintained that the applicants met the requirements for granting of an injunction, contrary fo the averments of Falana SAN.

    Reacting inside the courtroom, lead counsel to the Federal Government, James U.K. Igwe SAN, said: “I thank his Lordship for the ruling, rendered with unparalleled erudition, scholarly analysis and research and which took into cognisance of education as being basic to education in Nigeria.”

    FG still prepared to negotiate with ASUU in spite of court victory – Minister

    The Federal Government says it will continue to negotiate with ASUU in spite of Wednesday’s court ruling restraining the union from continuing with its seventh month strike.

    The National Industrial Court of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja ordered the striking lecturers to return to the classroom following a suit filed by the Federal Government.

    Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, made Federal Government’s position known when he hosted visiting members of the Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics.

    “The court ruling does not preclude us from going on with further negotiation and consultations,’’ he said.

    ASUU began its strike to demand that the Federal Government revisits some agreements signed between them in 2009 and also to improve on varsity funding and payment of earned allowances.

    The lecturers also want the Federal Government to shelve its Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) in paying lecturers’ salaries. The Federal Government uses the IPPIS platform to pay its employees.

    They demanded that rather than its IPPIS, government should adopt the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, the payment platform designed by the universities themselves to pay lecturers.

    The minister told his visitors that the Industrial Court’s ruling was in the best interest of Nigeria and its people. According to him, the ruling is a win-win for government, for students, for lecturers and for all Nigerians.

    “It is a no victor, no vanquished. You doctors in academics are for now members of ASUU, but you are here; even though you have dissociated yourselves and you are working. We want to thank you for working and teaching your students,’’ the minister said.

    He noted that pro-chancellors of universities had met with President Muhammadu Buhari and made some demands that included topping up government’s offer and seeing whether there could be some bailout.

    Ngige added that the president had assured that he would consult with stakeholders on the request.

    The minister also commended the House of Representatives for intervening in the ASUU imbroglio.

    Ngige said that he was happy that the Speaker, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila also assured that principal officers of the House would meet with President Buhari over the strike.

    He explained that whatever money that would be approved to meet some of the demands would go into the 2023 budget.

    “Since the House has showed interest now, it is good and wonderful. When they bring that proposal, the Executive will not have any problem.

    “ASUU should also know that this is a step in the right direction. All these things have been promised them by the Minister of Education at their last meeting.

    “For me, they should do the needful and go back to the classroom,’’ the minister said.

    Ngige said government would soon direct vice-chancellors to reopen the universities in compliance with the order of court.

  • We are willing to call off strike if… – ASUU

    We are willing to call off strike if… – ASUU

    The President of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke has said that the union is willing to end its seven-month old strike.

    Osodeke, however, said this could only be achieved if concrete agreements were reached with the Federal Government.

    Osodeke gave the assurance in Abuja on Thursday at a National Town Hall Meeting on Tertiary Education tagged: ‘ The Locked Gates of our Citadels -A National Emergency.’

    Recall that the union embarked on industrial action on Feb.14, making it over seven months since public universities across the country were closed down.

    The Federal Government recently sued ASUU at the industrial court in an attempt to end the strike.

    “On all these issues, we have given the government a minimum that we can accept, but they have not responded on issue of revitilisation, on issue of earned allowance and on issues that we have all discussed.

    ”We negotiated and agreed that they should sign and this is very simple, not more than one day.
    ”On UTAS and IPPIS , we say release the report of the test you did and let’s look at the one who came first and take it as we agreed.

    ”So we have given them the minimum we want and we have to come down and they can do it in one day if there is a will,” he said.

    Osodeke, therefore, reiterated the union’s commitment to return to school if the Federal Government puts its proposal on the table, saying that negotiation could be reached if the government was willing.

    “If the government loves this country, these children and their parents, then they should come to the table and let us resolve these issues in one day.

    “Just as we did in 2014, they should come and ensure that we do that, we can even have the meeting openly so that Nigeria will see what we are discussing,” he said.

    The ASUU president expressed sadness over the lingering strike resulting to government taking the union to court.

    He said that suing the union was not an option as it would further worsen the situation of the students and tertiary education in the country.

    He said that if the court forces the lecturers to return to school, they won’t force them to teach with open minds, saying that the students would definitely be at the receiving end.

    Osodeke commended the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Pro-Chancellors for stepping in to resolve the issues

    He, therefore, called on parents and students to appeal to the government to do the needful so that the strike would come to an end once and for all, rather than attacking the union.

    Meanwhile, Mrs Vivian Bello , Convener, Save Public Education Campaign, an NGO, pleaded with both parties to resolve the problems saying that the students are not the only people feeling the negative impact, but also the union.

    Bello said that it behooves on both sides to bring the crisis to a perpetual end for the sake of the students as well as the development of education in the country.

    ”We are going to play our traditional role which is the role of monitor.

    ”We are going to keep very strong searchlight on the two actors- both in the government and on ASUU, in order to see that this issue of back and forth is quickly brought to an end the strike will be called-off,” she said.

    Some of the contentious issues that led to the strike by the unions include the non-release of revitalisation fund, non-payment of earned allowance (or earned academic allowance), renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement, and the release of white paper for visitation panel.

    Others are: the non-payment of minimum wage arrears and the inconsistency occasioned by the use of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

  • ANALYSIS: 200 days of ASUU strike deepen uncertainty about Nigeria’s grounded public universities

    ANALYSIS: 200 days of ASUU strike deepen uncertainty about Nigeria’s grounded public universities

    A warning strike commenced by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on February 14, which was supposed to last about four weeks snowballed into an indefinite strike action that commenced on August 29, and has now exceeded 200 days.

    ASUU, the umbrella body for public universities in Nigeria, declared the strike over what it termed the Federal Government’s refusal to honour its agreement to implement the Memorandum of Action signed with them in December 2020.

    The union maintains that issues such as harmonising the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) with the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS), the non-payment of academic earned allowances, and university revitalization, form a critical part of the reasons for the strike.

    There are 91 public universities in Nigeria and about 70 of them make up the body called ASUU. A strike of this magnitude has left thousands of students stranded and frustrated as more than 2.1 million students are studying across all public universities, according to the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Abubakar Rasheed.

    In Nigeria, it is believed that the only language the Nigerian government understands is strike and unions use this tool as a last resort to get the attention of authorities to their agitations. According to the comprehensive report, the number of times ASUU has gone on strike in the last 23 years is enough to earn a student a four-year bachelor’s degree in an uninterrupted academic setting.

    Annually, the country loses billions of naira through foreign education as a result of these interruptions. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) reported that Nigerians spent $378.77 million on foreign education between January and May 2022 this year and over $29 billion in the last 12 years.

    FG, ASUU engage in fruitless meetings

    Since the ASUU strike commenced 201 days ago, meetings between the union and the Federal Government have not positively impacted the situation. While the Federal Government claimed it has attended to almost 80 per cent of ASUU’s demands, the latter insists promises are not sufficient grounds to call off the strike and demands implementation of the Memorandum of Action signed in 2020.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, however, none of the issues that forced our Union to resume the suspended strike as listed in the December 2020 FGN-ASUU Memorandum of Action (MoA) has been satisfactorily addressed by the Government to date,” ASUU’s president Emmanuel Osodeke stated.

    According to him, the draft renegotiated FGN-ASUU Agreement (second draft) remains unsigned, and the UTAS has not been adopted and deployed to replace the discredited IPPIS and the White Papers on Visitation Panels to Federal Universities, which the government said was ready more than six months ago, are nowhere to be found.

    Additionally, the union said the government has not released the N30 billion balance of the first tranche of the Revitalization Fund and the outstanding two tranches of the Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) amounting to N25 billion. It said the government has also not reviewed the Law of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to stem the tide of the proliferation of universities.

    The union maintains that the strike is aimed at saving public education from the misfortunes that have befallen Nigeria’s public primary and secondary schools, by ensuring that Governments (Federal and State) commit strongly to supporting quality public university education.

    Some universities withdraw from the ASUU strike

    Several universities that had joined the ongoing strike embarked upon by ASUU are gradually pulling out. Some of them include Kaduna State University (KASU), Ambrose Alli University in Edo State, the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado Ekiti, the Lagos State University (LASU), and the Delta State University (DELSU).

    Three other public universities not observing the strike action are Kwara State University (KWASU), Kogi State University (KSU), and Osun State University (UniOsun). KWASU is dealing with an internal crisis and UniOsun was suspended by ASUU, but both institutions have expressed support for the strike; while the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello proscribed the ASUU-KSU chapter since July 2017.

    The Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (formerly the University of Sokoto) is also considering opting out of the prolonged strike embarked upon by ASUU, in the interest of their students.

    A source at the university said given the lack of commitment expressed by the federal government, it was considering the option of localizing the struggle, by approaching the state government with its demands.

    Meanwhile, the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-owned Universities (COPSUN) has condemned ASUU’s unpopular approach to the issue of funding tertiary education in a modern globalised world, describing its strike action as ‘archaic, antiquated, and impracticable.’

    The secretary of the committee Marcus Awobifa, said in a statement, that “this is an auspicious time for ASUU to creatively work with all stakeholders to tinker out a compromise that will bring back to the campuses the young men and women who have been insensitively thrown out of the universities for the last six months”.

    FG to meet with Pro-Chancellors, VCs, and Chairmen of University Governing Councils

    The National Universities Commission (NUC) has invited pro-chancellors, vice-chancellors, and chairmen of governing councils of federal universities to a meeting with the Minister of Education in Abuja on Tuesday, September 6, as part of efforts to resolve the ongoing strike.

    In the invitation letter signed by its Deputy Executive Secretary (Administration), Chris J. Maiyaki, the NUC said it had become necessary for the governing councils and the management of the universities to be briefed on the decisions and actions taken by the Federal Government so far to allow for a well-coordinated review of the situation including building consensus around succeeding actions.

    It is hoped that the meeting will chart a new course for funding public universities in the country, but whether it will compel ASUU to call off its almost seven months strike without the government implementing the Memorandum of Action it signed in 2020, remains to be seen.

  • ASUU strike: We have done our best – FG

    ASUU strike: We have done our best – FG

    We have done our best to resolve issues that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is holding on to for the ongoing protracted strike of the union, the federal government has said.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Ben Goong disclosed this while speaking with newsmen, stressing that the government had taken all possible steps to end the strike.

    “Government has already inaugurated a committee to harmonise the IPPIS, UTAS, and UP3, a salary payment platform introduced by another union within the university system.

    “This will ensure that the government will pay with only one payment platform that will harmonise all the technical peculiarities.

    “If you bring some demands and almost 80 per cent have been attended to, there is no need to drag the strike anymore.

    “It is unreasonable for the strike to be lingering seeing that government has worked toward meeting most of the demands,’’ Goong said.

    The Ministry’s spokesperson’s comment is coming following a meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of ASUU. Indications emerging from the meeting portend that the union may have again extended the protracted strike.

    The decision to again extend the strike for the fourth time was taken after the ASUU’s NEC met at its headquarters at the University of Abuja.

    The union embarked on the strike on Feb. 14 demanding a renegotiation of agreements reached between it and the government in 2009.

    It is also demanding that government should shelve the payment of members’ salaries using its Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) through which it pays its employees.

    ASUU is asking the government to instead adopt the union’s payment platform option, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).

  • N109b fraud: FG faults IPPIS, GIFMIS, TSA, sets up committee for review

    N109b fraud: FG faults IPPIS, GIFMIS, TSA, sets up committee for review

    The Nigerian government has admitted it did not follow established standards in the deployment of the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS), Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS).

    Minister of Communication and Digital Economy Isa Pantami, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja, said the systems failed to comply with section A of the) National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Act 2006.

    IPPIS, GIFMIS and TSA were deployed in 2006, 2012 and 2015 respectively.

    ”These three systems were not subjected to government certification and IT project clearance as encouraged by law and many other government policies, ” Pantami noted.

    The Minister then inaugurated a presidential steering committee that would review the systems, identify vulnerabilities which have been exploited to divert public funds and advise government.

    “This committee will serve as a presidential committee with the mandate of ensuring the review of the strengths of these systems and the challenges or weaknesses.

    “The committee is to advise the president on how to improve the systems particularly if there are leakages that are being exploited by evil people.

    “We must identify where the challenges are if any, and see how these systems can be enhanced technically; so that we will be able to consolidate the gains achieved so far and also improve on them to achieve many more successes,” he said.

    It would be recalled that two weeks ago, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), uncovered fresh facts on how the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation Ahmed Idris, compromised these systems to to steal N109 billion belonging to the government.

    Spokesperson of the EFCC Wilson Uwujaren, said Wilson Idris allegedly used the funds in constructing properties like the Gezawa Exchange Limited, Gezawa Integrated Farms, and Kano City Mall.

    Members of the committee include the EFCC, NITDA, Galaxy Backbone, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning and Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF).

    Others are: the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, National Salaries, Wages and Income Commission, Bureau of Public Service and Reforms (BPSR) and the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.

    Pantami would serve as Chairman of the Committee, while NITDA would serve as the secretariat.

     

  • ASUU vows to resist any attempt to truncate deployment of UTAS

    ASUU vows to resist any attempt to truncate deployment of UTAS

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has vowed to resist any attempt to truncate the deployment of University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) with all legitimate means available to the Union.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke made this known on Monday in a statement issued following a meeting of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) to review developments since it’s resolution to extend its roll-over strike action by another 12 weeks with effect from 9th May, 2022.

    According to Prof Osodeke in the statement, NEC observed the ongoing trial of the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Ahmed ldris on an allegation of monumental fraud vindicated ASUU’s rejection of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information (IPPIS).

    The union, therefore, enjoined the National Information Technology Development Agency
    (NITDA) to release reports of the latest tests on the UTAS vis-à-vis Integrated Payroll and Personnel information system (IPPIS) without further delay.

    Osodeke explained that the NEC meeting took place against the backdrop of the government’s obligations as spelt out in the Memorandum of Action (MoA) it signed with ASUU on 23rd December 2020.

    “Specifically, NEC recalled that government’s failure to conclude the process of renegotiating the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement, deploy the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), pay outstanding arrears of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), release agreed sum of money for the revitalization of public universities (Federal and States), address proliferation and governance issues in State Universities, settle promotion arrears, release withheld salaries of academics, and pay outstanding third-party deductions led to the initial declaration of the roll-over strike on 14th February, 2022.

    “NEC viewed with seriousness the recent directive given by the President and Visitor to all Federal Universities that the Minister of Education, in consultation with other government officials, should resolve the lingering crisis and report to him within two weeks. The Union wonders why it had taken five full months and needless muscle-flexing tor government to come to the realisation of the need tor honest engagement.

    “NEC acknowledged the growing understanding of the issues and the groundswell of support for the Union’s principled demand for a globally competitive university education in Nigeria. Nigerian universities must not be reduced to constituency projects that merely exist on paper and our scholars must be incentivised to stay back and do what they know best, here in Nigeria.

    “NEC appreciated the historic nationwide protest of 26th and 27th July, 2022 organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in collaboration with Civil Society Organisations (CSO) to further create awareness on the antics of the Nigerian ruling class to destroy public education. ASUU renews its commitment to the struggles of NLC in championing the cause of the working and suffering Nigerians.
    6. NEC observed that non-signing of the draft renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement more than one month after it was concluded by Professor Nimi Briggs-led Committee is further tasking the patience of ASUU members nationwide.

    “NEC further observed that the on-going trial of the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Ahmed ldris, on allegation of monumental fraud has vindicated ASUU’s rejection of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information (IPPIS). The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is enjoined to release reports of the latest tests on the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) vis-à-vis IPPIS without further delay. ASUU shall resist any attempt to truncate the deployment of UTAS with all legitimate means available to the Union.

    “NEC noted that cumulative indifference by the political class gave vent to pervasive atmosphere of insecurity which now threatens seamless provision of educational services in the country. The unceremonious closure of educational institutions in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following the recent attack on Presidential Guards, betrays a panicky measure to addressing a malignant ailment. Nothing short of a comprehensive overhaul of the security architecture of the country will sustainably address the problem.

    “Following extensive deliberations and taking cognisance of Government’s past failures to abide by its own timelines in addressing issues raised in the 2020 FGN/ASUU Memorandum of Action (MoA), NEC resolved that the strike be rolled over for four weeks to give Government more time to satisfactorily resolve all the outstanding issues. The role-over strike action is with effect from 12.01a.m. on Monday, 1st August, 2022,” a statement issued by the ASUU President at the end of the meeting reads.

  • N109bn fraud: How suspended AGF, Ahmed Idris compromised TSA, GIFMIS, IPPIS for personal gains

    N109bn fraud: How suspended AGF, Ahmed Idris compromised TSA, GIFMIS, IPPIS for personal gains

    Fresh facts have emerged on how the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris compromised the Treasury Single Account (TSA), Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), Integrated Payroll and Personnel information system (IPPIS) and carted away billions of naira belonging to the government.

    Idris and his co-defendants: Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman are standing trial in a N109 billion fraud before Justice A. O. Adeyemi Ajayi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, FCT, Maitama, Abuja.

    At the resumed trial of the case on Thursday, July 28, 2022, Chief Investigative Officer of the case and Prosecution Witness One (PW1), Chief Superintendent of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), CSE Hayatu Sulaiman Ahmed, while being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs SAN, told the court that the investigations by the EFCC showed that, Idris while in office, compromised key units under his care like the TSA, GIFMIS and IPPIS that led to the loss of funds by the government.

    Idris allegedly used the funds in constructing properties like the Gezawa Exchange Limited, Gezawa Integrated Farms, and Kano City Mall.

    “We had cause to invite several individuals who had transactions with the Gezawa Commodity and Exchange Limited and found one Baita Ibrahim Kura of B I Kura Ibrahim, a Bureau de Change (BDC) operator based in Kano. We invited him and cautioned him and he voluntarily wrote a statement, claiming he made several payments like N208 million into Gezawa Commodity Market with Jaiz bank”, he said.

    The witness further told the court that Ibrahim also admitted to have paid the sum of N866 million to one Architect Mustapha Mukhtar of Marsc Construction Limited for the construction of Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange limited.

    “My Lord, investigation showed that Ibrahim received United States dollars from the first defendant. We also found out that agitation from the nine oil-producing states, regarding derivation from the excess crude account, was tabled before the Federal Account Allocation Committee, FAAC and the committee came up with a figure of about $2.2 billion as what was due to the nine oil producing states, and this amount was to be deducted over a 60 months period on a quarterly basis”, he said.

    The witness further told the court that 11.5% of this figure amounting to N44.7 billion was put aside as payments to some public officials to facilitate payments to the oil-producing states.

    “After the determination of this committee, my lord, some companies, Akindele and Co, a company owned by the second defendant, Godfrey Olusegun Akindele was presented under the guise of consultancy.

    “My Lord, until recently, the second defendant, Akindele was a staff in the office of the AGF, and Technical Assistant to the first defendant. Investigation revealed that N84.39 billion was paid into Akindele’s bank accounts. According to the witness, another transaction occurred on February 12, 2021, with N21 billion paid into his account.

    The witness further revealed that aside from the payment of money that was made on February 12, 2021, other payments were made on May 6, 2021, and between July 28, 2021, and November 5, 2021, amounting to N94.39 billion.

    Ahmed further told the court funds were shared with some groups, including the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), represented by one of its Commissioners, Peace Akomas, former Deputy Governor of Abia State, who allegedly collected N18.8 billion. He said the money was withdrawn by Akindele and converted to US dollars and handed over to Akomas.

    “The second group is the AGF group and it got a total sum of N18.01 billion. The third group, the Commissioners of Finance in the nine oil producing states, received N21.4 billion. The money was withdrawn by Akindele, converted to US dollars and handed over to Akomas on behalf of the group.

    “The fourth group is called the Yari group. This group received N17.15 billion. The entirety of the sum was transferred to the account of Fimex Professional Services on the instruction of the representative of this group: Abdulaziz Yari, former Zamfara state governor.

    “The remaining N8.9 billion naira was retained by the second defendant. Furthermore, N4.29 billion was converted to US dollars by Akindele as appreciation for the consultancy contract, and the balance of N4.6 billion was given to Akindele,” he said.

    Ahmed confirmed to the court that all his disclosures were confirmed by the defendants in writing, in their statements admitting to have collected all the monies.

    “Also, properties purchased with the funds by the first and third defendants were traced to various locations in Abuja, Kano, and Minna, Niger state,” the prosecution witness said.

    Earlier, Justice Ajayi admitted the defendants to bail on the terms earlier granted by the EFCC.

    One of the bail conditions is that the defendants should not leave the jurisdiction of the court without the court’s permission, and their passports deposited with the court’s registrar and in no circumstance should any of the defendants apply for an alternative passport, as doing so, will revoke the bail terms. They should also depose to an affidavit to adhere to the bail conditions.

    In the EFCC’s bail conditions, Idris was granted bail in the sum of N18 billion, and two sureties. One of the sureties should be a Permanent Secretary, and the other a Director in the Federal Civil Service with bond of N100,000,000 ( One Hundred Million Naira) each.

    Akindele was admitted to bail in the sum of N20 billion and two sureties who must be Directors in the Federal Civil Service and Usman was granted bail in the sum of N200 million and two Directors in like sum.

    The Judge thereafter adjourned the matter to August 10 and 11, 2022 for continuation of trial.