COEASU Threatens Strike Over IPPIS, Unnecessary Deductions

COEASU Threatens Strike Over IPPIS, Unnecessary Deductions

POLITICS DIGEST – The Collegse of Education Academic Staff Union, (COEASU) has accused the federal government of engaging in indiscriminate deductions of their salaries following their enrollment in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

Besides,the lecturers said even as discussion with the IPPS on some issues which it feared in the scheme were yet to be concluded, government had stopped payment of members on sabbatical leave, deduction of salaries for the National Housing Fund, and non inclusion in the Peculiar Allowances of the staff of the subsector, especially the Peculiar Earned Academic Allowance,PEAA.

The lecturers speaking in a statement through their umbrella union, COEASU,also said,”Whereas FGN deducted its own statutory deductions, the non-statutory deduction of staff necessary for their well-being, especially Staff Cooperative Society contributions were not made.”

To this end,they have in the statement released to the media, Sunday,through the President of COEASU,Nuhu Ogirima,threatened disruption of activities in the nation’s colleges of education.

It said the “February salary paid by the federal government did not include the Peculiar Allowances of the staff of the subsector, especially the Peculiar Earned Academic Allowance (PEAA),” adding that,“Also not paid are staff on sabbatical leave. In addition, deductions were effected on all staff salary, indiscriminately, for the National Housing Fund (NHF), a voluntary scheme to which most staff did not subscribe.”

“The Union shall reconvene the Expanded National Executive Council meeting to deliberate on further necessary action on IPPIS and other lingering issues of industrial concern, including but not limited to the inconclusive renegotiation, the unfulfilled N15bn Needs Assessment palliative and the sum of N2.5bn unpaid arrears of Peculiar Allowances,” the statement said.

COEASU noted that,”Sadly, pension and the imposed obnoxious tax deductions were effected on gross earning of staff, which included non-taxable Allowances) as against the basic salary on which such deductions ought to be effected.”

It added that:”From the information available, it is quite evident that the peculiarities of the Colleges of Education subsector, which the stakeholders’ meetings with IPPIS office, prior to its implementation, harped on as the basis of rejection of the obnoxious pay platform, have not been reflected.”

According to the union, the action of government was a breach of trust,saying the action was unacceptable to it.

The statement read in full:”The attention of the National Secretariat has been drawn to the payment of February 2020 salary to staff of the Federal Colleges of Education by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN).

“From the information available, it is quite evident that the peculiarities of the Colleges of Education subsector, which the stakeholders’ meetings with IPPIS office, prior to its implementation, harped on as the basis of rejection of the obnoxious pay platform, have not been reflected.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the February salary paid by FGN did not include the Peculiar Allowances of the staff of the subsector, especially the Peculiar Earned Academic Allowance (PEAA).

“Also not paid are staff on Sabbatical Leave. In addition, deductions were effected on all staff salary, indiscriminately, for the National Housing Fund (NHF), a voluntary scheme to which most staff did not subscribe.

“Whereas FGN deducted its own statutory deductions, the non-statutory deduction of staff necessary for their well-being, especially Staff Cooperative Society contributions were not made.

“Sadly, pension and the imposed obnoxious tax deductions were effected on gross earning of staff, which included non-taxable Allowances) as against the basic salary on which such deductions ought to be effected.

” The Union views this as a serious breach of trust and,therefore, considers Federal Government of Nigeria betrayal not acceptable.

“The impunity with which FGN has engendered this anomaly goes to further heighten our fears and reinforces our concern over the wanton neglect of the Colleges of Education subsector by successive administrations peaked with the current government.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Union, while reiterating the initial worries on the concern over the use of IPPIS in COE system, as a tertiary institution, calls on FGN, OAGF in particular, to, matter of urgent concern, capable of disrupting the smooth running of the Colleges of Education,take urgent steps to ameliorate the situation.

“The Union shall reconvene the Expanded National Executive Council meeting to deliberate on further necessary action on IPPIS and other lingering issues of industrial concern, including but not limited to the inconclusive renegotiation, the unfulfilled N15bn Needs Assessment palliative and the sum of N2.5bn unpaid arrears of Peculiar Allowances.”