ARCN, Agriculture Colleges Back ASUCA’s Push to Exit IPPIS

The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) and heads of Federal Colleges of Agriculture nationwide have backed the Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture (ASUCA) in its call for a review of the disbursement of CATA funds and the withdrawal of the colleges from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

The Executive Secretary of ARCN, Dr Abubakar Adamu Dabban, expressed the council’s support when he received the national leadership of ASUCA, describing the move as significant to the effective management of human resources and the sustainability of agricultural institutions.

Dabban said Federal Colleges of Agriculture occupied a strategic position in Nigeria’s agricultural development, contributing not only to manpower development but also to research, innovation, extension services, entrepreneurship, technology transfer and practical solutions to challenges in the agricultural sector.

He said the proposed exit from IPPIS should not be viewed merely as a change in payroll platforms, but as an opportunity to establish a personnel administration system that would better reflect the peculiar operational requirements of agricultural education and training.

According to him, the process must, however, be conducted transparently and in accordance with due process, financial discipline and government regulations.

He said greater flexibility in personnel and payroll administration must be accompanied by stronger accountability mechanisms to prevent payroll irregularities, duplication of personnel, ghost workers, unauthorised payments and financial leakages.

Dabban stressed the need for accurate and regularly updated staff records, comprehensive personnel verification, effective internal controls, proper authorisation procedures, periodic audits and robust digital monitoring systems.

He assured the union that ARCN was committed to supporting a responsible process that would protect the interests of the Federal Government, the institutions and their employees.

Also backing the move, the President of the National Committee of Heads of Colleges of Agriculture and Related Disciplines (NACHCARD), Dr Chukwu O. O. Chukwu, said the committee would support ASUCA in every possible way to improve staff welfare and service delivery.

Chukwu, who was represented by the committee’s Secretary, Dr Jude Ejike, said the support would help enhance manpower planning, facilitate timely replacement of critical personnel, improve staff deployment and strengthen institutional productivity.

Earlier, the ASUCA National President, Comrade Dr Kadurumba Chukwuemeka, appealed for the support of relevant stakeholders, saying the proposed reforms would boost the morale of lecturers and improve service delivery in the colleges.

He noted that Federal Colleges of Agriculture had unique staffing structures and operational requirements, comprising academic staff, technologists, instructors, extension specialists, farm managers, administrators, technicians and other technical and support personnel.

Chukwuemeka said the peculiar nature of their responsibilities, particularly in practical agricultural training, research, extension and institutional production activities, required a personnel and payroll system capable of responding to their specific needs.

He called for close collaboration among ARCN, the Federal Colleges of Agriculture, relevant ministries, departments and agencies, as well as government institutions responsible for public service administration, budgeting, finance, personnel and payroll management.

He said the collective responsibility of stakeholders was to ensure a smooth and coordinated transition that would minimise disruption to salary administration and institutional operations while establishing a sustainable framework for effective human-resource management.