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IPPIS Enrolment: ASUU Members Shun Payroll

Published

5 years ago

November 26, 2019

IPPIS enrolment: ASUU members shun payroll

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) did not enrol yesterday into the controversial Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

The Federal Government had directed that workers at its universities and colleges of education across the country enrol into the new payroll.

Our correspondents, who were at Federal universities to monitor compliance with the directive, report that the union members remained recalcitrant.

At the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the Federal College of Education (Technical) both in Akoka, Lagos, the enrolment did not take off.

A team from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) expected to supervise the enrolment did not show up.

Our correspondent saw workers of both institutions, especially the non-academic staff in UNILAG, preparing documents required for the exercise.

The university management also made a timetable on how each faculty and directorate would do the exercise

According to the timetable, the Faculty of Arts, the Library Section and the Distance Learning Institute were to enrol yesterday.

But the UNILAG chapter of ASUU directed its members to stay away from the exercise.

The union’s Chairman Dr. Dele Ashiru said ASUU would not be part of the exercise.

The Chairman of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) at UNILAG, Sowunmi Olusola, said the union’s members would be actively involved and that modalities had been worked out to fine-tune the irregularities in the government’s payroll system.

At FCET, Akoka, the Director of Information, Mrs Babalola, said the management was expecting the IPPIS team.

She said: “We are to start today but we have not seen anybody.”

It was also gathered that workers of Yaba College of Technology had been enrolled some weeks ago.

At the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA), a circular by the Registrar, Malam Y. I. directed the workers to enrol in the payment system.

It reads: “Please, be informed that the Office of the Accountant-General is scheduled to commence the enrolment of staff of Federal universities and colleges of education in Nigeria into IPPIS on Monday, November 25, 2019, to Saturday, December 7, 2019.

“Staff members are required to provide letter of first employment, letter of last promotion, evidence of transfer of service, staff identity card, birth certificate/declaration of age, educational qualifications, copy of bank statement (six months), BVN printout, pension fund administrator print out and evidence of change of name.

“While details of the arrangement will be communicated to you when further information is received from the office of the Accountant-General, staff are enjoined to cooperate to ensure a seamless exercise.”

But, as directed by ASUU’s national body, its members at UNIABUJA boycotted the enrolment.

ASUU members at the Federal University Lafia (FUL), Nasarawa State, insisted they would not participate in the IPPIS enrolment.

The Nation

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RMRDC: Making Giant Strides Under Prof. Nnanyelugo Martins Ike-Muonso

Published

7 hours ago

September 19, 2024

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

As we embark on a journey, we always pray for an able, experienced, and courageous driver, pilot, or sailor depending on the means of transportation.

This is because the captain will have enough experience and boldness to navigate out of turbulence and to bring all the passengers and crew to the intended destination.

Interestingly, these fine qualities of ability, experience, boldness, and many more, abound in the man, Prof. Nnanyelugo Martins Ike-Muonso, who we all are pleased was appointed the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, RMRDC, the Director General/CEO by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a few months ago. This is because he has brought his knowledge, ability, experience, and doggedness to bear in carrying out his assignment in charge of the Council.

The RMRDC, operating under the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, is pivotal in driving Nigeria’s industrial growth by optimizing local raw materials exploitation, development, and utilization. RMRDC, ab initio, was conceived as a child of necessity when Nigeria was reeling from the throes of global recession and plummeting crude oil prices.

Without an iota of doubt, today, the council is experiencing a transformation with massive innovation in raw material exploitation, development, and utilization, supporting business and industrial growth, and contributing to Nigeria’s economic prosperity.

Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday, in Abuja to commemorate his 100 days in office, he said the council is laying a solid foundation through numerous innovations that will further enhance growth in the country.

According to him, “In the past 100 days, my strategic pursuits have been to lay solid foundations for enduring success in these goals.

“Upon assuming this position, I set five crucial deliverables which include, refocusing the Council as a premier research institution; Strengthening the Council’s productivity and operational efficiency; and Significantly improving the staff welfare to be the best in the class of similar organizations.

“Others include, Boosting the Council’s visibility and instituting remarkable culture change that encourages ownership and productivity as well as Strengthening and deepening the Council’s place in the international arena.”While speaking on his Achievements so far, the DG revealed further: “My first task, therefore, was to implement a strategic goal-setting for the Council’s staff to define and set out clear objectives and targets to be achieved by the Council within a specified period towards refocusing on this historical mandate. We unleashed five significant initiatives in that regard.

“The nationwide raw material data collection exercise that focused on technical and investment information to drive our mission forward.

“The restructuring and renaming of the former Technology Innovation Complex (TIC), at the Obasanjo Space Center at Airport Road, Abuja, to a Research and Demonstration Plants Complex (RDPC). This complex will be Africa’s first center of excellence in raw material research, featuring state-of-the-art laboratories, technology development workshops, and proof of concept demonstrations.

“We have reactivated the Council’s Journal and repositioned it internationally. The repositioned Journal of Raw Material Research (JORMAR) will host RMRDC’s researchers’ publications, which are crucial in promoting awareness, facilitating knowledge sharing, and informing stakeholders about the opportunities and challenges in Nigeria’s raw materials sector. “The collaboration with universities and academies will strengthen our capacity for conducting market-guided research, ensuring sustained workforce training while deepening our orientation in science.

“The council has reformulated a new template for all our research proposals to ensure and sustain a clear departure from the old culture of blue-sky and deliberately endless research.”Speaking further, Prof Nwanyelugo Martins Ike-Muonso stated that Staff welfare remains a top priority as an issue of unpaid salaries is settled as well as set up a comprehensive welfare program. “Similarly, we established the RMRDC Training School to sustainably build our staff and stakeholders’ capacity to further the staff welfare improvement goal.

“We are committed to openness, inclusiveness, and performance management and have initiated steps to continuously improve staff ownership, orchestrate transformative culture change, boost our corporate visibility, and enhance.

“To further strengthen our visibility and communication strategies, we are upgrading our media infrastructure, which includes the launch of the RMRDC online media platform, The RMRDC TV Online.

“Additionally, we are working hard to effectively enhance the intellectual property and patent portfolio of RMRDC from its current 40 to approximately 200 new patents within the next 24 months. This proactive approach secures valuable IP assets and positions the Council as a leader in innovation within the raw materials sector, contributing to Nigeria’s overall economic growth.“As well as launching an e-registration and certification portal to enhance transparency in the raw materials sector,” DG revealed.

He however reaffirmed his commitment to reshape the future of research, technology, and innovation, driving Nigeria towards an industrially vibrant and technologically resilient economy.

“As I mark 100 days in office, I boldly say that the Council is on the verge of rewriting its history.

“I believe that in no distant future, RMRDC will play a leading role in enhancing raw materials’ development to boost raw materials’ industrial trial processing and attain sustainable industrial growth in Nigeria.

The DG, however, applauded the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, for his unwavering support and mentorship, saying the Minister’s leadership has been instrumental in the progress made so far.

In his opening remarks, the Directorate of Corporate Affairs, Mr Chucks Ngaha commended the hard-working DG who has weathered the storm further to put the Council on the ladder of more prosperity.

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