Reps to intervene over non-implementation of directive removing varsities from IPPIS

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on University Education, Abubakar Hassan Fulata has promised that his committee will take necessary steps to address the challenge arising from the non-implementation of presidential directives removing universities and other tertiary institutions from IPPIS.

Fulata made this known after the committee’s meeting with the Chairman, Conference Committee of Vice-Chancellors in Nigeria, Professor Lilian Imuetinyan Salami at the National Assembly on Wednesday.

Salami is also the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin.

Salami, who is the first indigenous female Vice Chancellor of UNIBEN, had told the committee that despite the presidential directive removing the universities and other tertiary institutions from IPPIS, the platform is still used for recruitment, salary payments and others.

Fulata said his committee is determined to tackle any issue that will affect the smooth running of universities across the country, hence the decision to address the non-implementation of the presidential directive on the removal of tertiary institutions from IPPIS.

Advertisement

He noted that if President Bola Tinubu can approve the removal of universities and other tertiary institutions from IPPIS, reconstitute the councils and boards for higher institutions as well as recent approval of 50 percent subsidy on electricity tariff for hospitals and tertiary institutions, he is optimistic that the issue of non-implementation of the directive on IPPIS will be addressed.

He noted that it took the vice chancellor of a university to go through about seven MDAs under the IPPIS platform before even a cleaner can be employed.

Meanwhile, the Committee on University Education has called on the vice chancellors and managements of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife, Osun State, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Federal University of Health Sciences Ila Orangun, Osun State, French Language Village Badagry, Lagos and University of Lagos, Lagos State, to ensure transparency and accountability in the running of the institutions.

Fulata noted that the call became necessary following the committee’s observations during oversight visits to the tertiary institutions.

He said apart from non-compliance to the federal character principles in recruitment of staff by the universities, some of their financial records are not in tandem with financial regulations and international best practices.

According to Fulata, the committee will further carry out forensic investigation based on observations made during the oversight visit.