ARCN, Agriculture Colleges Back ASUCA’s Move to Exit IPPIS
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ARCN, Agriculture Colleges Back ASUCA’s Move to Exit IPPIS
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, ARCN and heads of Federal Colleges of Agriculture across the country have backed the Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture’s move to review the disbursement of Colleges of Agriculture Tertiary Education Tax/Capital Allocation funds and exit the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, IPPIS.
The Executive Secretary of ARCN, Dr Abubakar Adamu Dabban, stated this when the national leadership of ASUCA paid a visit to the council.
Dabban said the union’s position was significant because it addressed issues directly affecting the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of agricultural institutions and the management of their human resources.
He said Federal Colleges of Agriculture occupied a strategic position in Nigeria’s agricultural development architecture, noting that the institutions were responsible not only for producing skilled manpower but also for contributing to agricultural research, innovation, extension, entrepreneurship and technology transfer.
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“Today’s engagement is particularly significant because it concerns an area that directly affects the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of our institutions—the management of our most valuable resource: our human capital,” he said.
The ARCN boss assured the union of the council’s support, saying the process must protect the interests of the Federal Government, the institutions and members of staff.
“We are committed to ensuring that this process is conducted responsibly and in a manner that protects the interests of the Federal Government, the institutions and, most importantly, the members of staff who depend on an efficient and reliable personnel administration system,” Dabban said.
He said the personnel and payroll management framework for the colleges must be responsive to their peculiar operational realities.
According to him, the proposed exit from IPPIS should not be regarded merely as a change in payroll platform but as an opportunity to improve personnel administration and institutional efficiency.
“The proposed transition from IPPIS should be understood within this broader objective. It is not simply an administrative exercise or a change in payroll platform. Rather, it presents an opportunity to strengthen personnel administration, improve institutional efficiency and establish a system that better responds to the specific requirements of agricultural education, training and related institutional activities, while maintaining the principles of transparency, accountability and compliance with government regulations,” he said.
Dabban, however, warned that greater flexibility in personnel management must be matched with stronger accountability.
He said the transition must be undertaken with transparency, due process and financial discipline to prevent payroll irregularities, duplication of personnel, ghost workers, unauthorised payments and financial leakages.
He called for accurate and regularly updated staff records, comprehensive personnel verification, effective internal controls, proper authorisation procedures, periodic audits and digital monitoring mechanisms.
Also supporting the ASUCA position, the President of the National Committee of Heads of Colleges of Agriculture and Related Disciplines, Dr Chukwu O.O. Chukwu, said the committee would support the union in areas that could improve staff welfare and service delivery.
Chukwu, who was represented by the committee’s Secretary, Dr Jude Ejike, said the support would help strengthen manpower planning, facilitate the timely replacement of critical personnel, improve staff deployment and boost institutional productivity.
Earlier, the National President of ASUCA, Dr Kadurumba Chukwuemeka, solicited the support of the ARCN and other stakeholders, saying the proposed changes would help boost the morale of lecturers in the colleges.
He said the peculiar nature of Federal Colleges of Agriculture required a personnel management system that recognised their diverse staffing structures and operational needs.
According to him, the colleges employ academic staff, technologists, instructors, extension specialists, farm managers, administrative personnel, technicians and other technical and support staff whose duties are closely linked to practical agricultural training, research, extension and institutional production activities.
Chukwuemeka stressed the need for collaboration among the ARCN, Federal Colleges of Agriculture, relevant ministries, departments and agencies, as well as government institutions responsible for public service administration, budgeting, finance, personnel management and payroll administration.
“Our collective responsibility is to ensure a smooth and properly coordinated transition that minimises disruption to salary administration and institutional operations, while establishing a sustainable framework for effective human-resource management,” he said.
