IPPIS: Federal University Lecturers Besiege State Varsities, Polys For Sabbaticals

Lecturers working for federal universities currently face herculean tasks of embarking on sabbaticals as a result of the launch of the Integrated Personnel Payment Information System by the federal government.

Investigations carried out by THE WHISTLER on Monday show that lecturers at federal universities besiege both state and private higher institutions for sabbaticals with the attendant frustration.

The scheme, which has drawn members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities at loggerheads with the federal government, is already in full operations.

Our correspondent reports that IPPIS is used for processing and payment of salaries of about 350, 000 federal government employees across its 459 MDAs.

However, ASUU kicked against it, and even embarked on strike. The federal government, however, did not renege, and currently claims that the initiative has saved billions of naira hitherto being expended on lecturers in the guise of double salaries and allowances.

A lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Dr Muna Ngbor, told THE WHISTLER that, “With IPPIS, it is difficult to embark on sabbaticals because federal universities are no longer in charge of salaries. Salaries are coming directly from the federal government through the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“It is only state universities that accept lecturers for sabbaticals and even adjuncts because they are in charge of their respective salaries and allowances.”

A management staff member of Coal City University, Enugu, who declined to be mentioned, said, “Of late, we have been receiving applications from even professors from federal universities. Some of them want to be paid bogus allowances, which private higher institutions like ours can’t afford.”
Investigations show that over 500 applicants for sabbaticals from lecturers at federal universities are on the desk of the vice chancellor of Enugu State University of Science and Technology. However, many of them will lose out as the institution has not got the financial capacity to engage all of them, a source said.

Prof Chido Okeke, from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, told our correspondent that IPPIS had destroyed the beauty of teaching at the ivory towers. In his words, “Before now, sabbaticals are sought after because of the joy attached to teaching students of other institutions and getting paid.

“Some of us have even gone to state polytechnics and colleges of education, and they treat us as outcasts. Some want you to kneel down to be considered.”

Recall that the federal government launched IPPIS to reduce costs of running education at federal universities. In defence of the scheme, the senior special assistant to the president on public affairs, Ajuri Ngelale, said, “We can’t afford to sit and watch individuals take multiple salaries for themselves at the expense of the institutions and the country.

“It will enable the federal government to stop lecturers from earning full-time salaries from multiple universities under the guise of sabbatical leave.”