FG May drop IPPIS for ASUU’s UTAS

The Federal Government Tuesday declared that it may consider adopting  University Transparency Account System ( UTAS)  being presented by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as alternative emoluments payments platform to the Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

Addressing journalists after about two and half hours of closed door meeting of  Senate leadership,  Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige and ASUU leadership, the labour minister said the alternative platform presented by ASUU was home grown and worth given thorough assessment test.

We agreed at the meeting to give required consideration to the UTAS alternative they came up with as a way of finding lasting solution to the lingering crisis over Implementation of IPPIS.

“We have neither jettisoned the implementation of the IPPIS nor fully accepted UTAS.The level we moved to now  is to subject ASUU’s UTAS to integrity test and in doing so, it will be presented to users like the office of Accountant General of the Federation on Wednesday.

“After that it will be sent to National Information Technology Development Agency  (NITDA) and from there to the office of the National Security Adviser for second look.

“The platform is an option grown device that requires stage by stage consideration  and from the looks of things is good,” he said.

Confirming the headway achieved at the meeting ,  Chairman Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and Tetfund Ahmad Baba Kaita said the interface had not ended but a stage of compromise was getting closer between the two parties.

“The meeting brokered  by the President of the Senate  Ahmad Lawan among the various stakeholders, achieved a lot today with agreement on the need to subject the UTAS alternative brought forward by ASUU for integrity test by all relevant departments of the government,” he said.