The federal government says approval of ASUU’s request to withdraw from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) is temporary. Once the time is up, it will be back on track Bibian Anekwe News reports.
The Minister of Labor and Employment, Chris Ngige, made the announcement on Saturday during a reconciliation meeting with the union.
After being embroiled in controversy over the approval of the IPPIS payroll system on Friday, Ngige explained how ASUU’s proposed UTAS system would be accepted for some time.
“I think it is better because a lot of people are quoting us out of context, saying that we abandoned the IPPIS and that we said they should not be on IPPIS. It is not true,” he said.
“What we said in the meeting and what we agreed was that in the interim for the transition period that UTAS is being tested by NITDA and the Office of National Security Adviser for cybersecurity.
“For that transition period, ASUU members that are not yet on IPPIS will be paid through the platform with which they were paid the President’s compassionate COVID-19 payment done to them between the months of February and June.”
The minister said the government had not abandoned IPPIS noting that it still remains an integral part of transactions made by the federal government.
“That platform is a hybrid platform between IPPIS and MINPSI platform for the transition period. That is what was used. It’s a hybrid,” he noted.
The IPPIS system will therefore continue to be used until the UTAS system has been evaluated, and if it is approved, it will be used first.
