NASS Vows To Remove Tertiary Institutions From IPPIS For Enhanced Lecturer Welfare

In a reaffirmation of its commitment to prioritize the welfare of lecturers and address the issue of brain drain, the House of Representatives has declared its intent to remove tertiary institutions from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

Dr. Abbas Tajudeen, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, conveyed this stance during the 3rd International Conference of the Gender Policy Unit at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Represented by Dr. Abubakar Fulata, the House Committee Chairman on Education, Tajudeen highlighted the House’s dedication to advocating for the interests of academia, with IPPIS being a contentious issue.

Tajudeen criticized IPPIS as a rigid computer program that he deemed “anti-intellectual, anti-education, and completely ignorant of the issues involved.” He emphasized the House’s determination to extricate universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education from IPPIS. Additionally, he underscored the House’s commitment to securing a more significant allocation for education in the national budget, aiming to meet the United Nations’ recommendation of allocating at least 26 percent of the national budget to education.

The Speaker lamented that IPPIS had diminished the status of education in the country, jeopardizing the survival of teachers. He revealed that the National Assembly engaged with vice-chancellors nationwide, learning that a professor’s take-home pay, after deductions, was less than N450,000. Tajudeen expressed his dissatisfaction with such a salary, deeming it embarrassing for the education sector.

He argued that addressing poverty, gender inequality, and insecurity was not just a moral imperative but a fundamental necessity for the progress and prosperity of the nation. The Speaker was honored with the Award of Excellence in the fight against poverty, gender inequality, and insecurity during the conference.

Earlier in the conference, Prof. Kabiru Bala, Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, highlighted the event as a significant step towards achieving the university’s goal of becoming a world-class academic and research institution. The conference, themed “Gender and Security in Africa: The Implications for Sustainable Development Goals,” provided a platform for professionals in academia, security, and other stakeholders to engage in critical discourse on the implications of insecurity for the Sustainable Development Goals. The three-day conference was jointly organized by the Gender Policy Unit of Ahmadu Bello University and the Center for Gender Studies of Bayero University, Kano.