Fed Govt Orders Immediate Separation of Universities from IPPIS

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has mandated an immediate separation of the university system from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), as was approved last December.

This decision emerged from the council’s meeting on Wednesday at the State House, Abuja.

Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, revealed this update on his verified X handle, @aonanuga1956.

On December 13, 2023, the FG sanctioned the exemption of universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and other tertiary institutions from IPPIS. Consequently, staff remunerations for these institutions will no longer be processed through the platform.

Onanuga stated that the directive to separate universities from the IPPIS platform was issued to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.

This move is anticipated to resolve the long-standing conflict between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

Additionally, FEC ratified the establishment of the National University of Science and Technology in Abuja, a Pan African Institute aimed at educating African scientists and technologists. Onanuga highlighted that this university, the first of its kind in Nigeria, is expected to enhance scientific and technological progress across Africa.

“The council instructed the Secretary of the Government of the Federation to expedite the implementation of the decision made months ago to separate universities from the IPPIS platform,” Onanuga tweeted.

Furthermore, the council ratified the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval on May 28, 2023, to establish the university in the Federal Capital.

The council also approved several contracts to boost agriculture and infrastructure development. These include the procurement of tractors and agricultural equipment to ensure national food security, an engineering audit of upstream measurement equipment in the oil and gas sector, and the supply of SUVs and operational vehicles to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.

Other approved contracts include pre-field development studies for advanced declaration solution technology and the procurement of substation connectors for the Transmission Company of Nigeria.

“Although many contract memos were stepped down, FEC approved some others. Among them were:

“Facility Maintenance Service submitted by EFCC, in favor of Julius Berger at a cost of N392m. The contract sum was less than the N533m approved in 2018 for the yearly maintenance of the headquarters of the EFCC in Abuja.

“Procurement of 2000 tractors, 4000 disc ploughs, 1000 disc ridges, 1200 tractor trailers, and assorted spare parts for the National Agricultural Mechanization Programme to bolster national food security. Aftrade DMCC, which has undertaken similar projects in Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa, and Togo, will supply all equipment and set up a plant for machinery assembly in the contract’s second stage.”

Additional contracts include an engineering audit of upstream measurement equipment and facilities in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Upstream Sector awarded to Messrs. PE Energy Limited, with completion slated for 180 days.

Council also approved contracts for the supply of SUVs and operational vehicles to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, awarded to Elizade Nigeria Limited, Lanre Shittu Motors, and Vinicius Global Link Ltd.

Lastly, the council approved a contract for the procurement of low and high-voltage substation connectors awarded to Messrs. Maglous Enterprises Limited for the Transmission Company of Nigeria.