Onazena Abbey, Benin-City
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) University of Benin (UNIBEN) chapter, has described as ‘baseless’ claims by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) that the tertiary institutions have requested to formalise tax evasion through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The Union equally carpeted the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, over comment that “it was immoral for members of the union to seat at home playing Ludo and Draft rather than carry out research on equipment to combat COVID-19 .”
In a press statement signed by Prof. Monday Omoregie and Fabian Amaechina, Chairman and Secretary ASUU UNIBEN and made available to newsmen, in Benin-City, the union said despite the decision of OAGF to withhold salaries and check-off due of members since February 2000, the Union went ahead to produce and distributed items like hand sanitisers, washing soap, face masks to support the government at combating the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Union also raised concerns over what it called ‘attempt by OAGF at validating the unending abuses of laws of the federation’, adding that plot did not only contradict the Act establishing the Universities, but failed to take into cognizance the peculiarities of the Nigeria University system.
Prof. Omoregie observed that with the February and March salaries of seven universities workers who enrolled into the IPPSI yet to be paid, coupled with the withheld salaries of ASUU members who refused to sign into the platform, cases of massive corruption have already been established in the operations of IPPSI.
He faulted claims by OAGF that the Federal Government has paid several billions money on behalf of universities to states because of the universities under-payment of PAYE and called for a concise publication of the data and figures of the under-payment.
