By By Ademola Ajao
A member of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Josiah Olusegun Ajiboye of the Department of Arts and Social Sciences Education, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, has made an impassioned plea to President Bola Tinubu to pay lecturers their monies before death takes them away.
Professor Ajiboye expressed his frustration during a sensitisation programme organised for academic staff by the University of Ibadan in collaboration with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN).
The event took place at Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan.
In his words: “Deductions are made from our salaries every month, and we don’t know where the money is.
“Unlike pensions, where we receive alerts whenever deductions are made, in this case, there’s nothing of the sort.
“Some of our elders have left the system. Today, they are stranded. They want to know how much they contributed and how to access their funds.
“IPPIS has not been remitting our funds, and that is a double jeopardy.
“I want to have my file number. As the Americans say: ‘There is no taxation without representation.’
“We want to know where our money is. Individuals want access to their files. Once we have them, we should be able to know how much is there, so that at the end of the month, we can go and update our cards.
“We need a dedicated desk where staff can go. There should be a passbook we can take there, just as is done in corporate banking.”
The Head of Products at FMBN, Mrs Sotuminu Funmilayo, explained during her sensitisation address that the challenges beneficiaries are currently facing began in 2020 when their funds were diverted to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
As a result, the deductions meant to reach FMBN have not been forthcoming.
In her words: “It’s not affecting UI alone. It also affects all federal universities. State and private universities are not experiencing these issues—only federal ones. But we are resolving them one by one.
“As I speak to you, we have already resolved the issue with University College Hospital (UCH). As of now, we have not received any necessary documentation from UI to enable us to process your funds.
“It is not that you will never have access to your money. Once we receive the required information, we will process it.”
Dr Mike Anjonrin, who led representatives from Timik Engineering Construction Ltd, assured participants that his company would actively pursue the recovery of their funds.
He noted that he had already spoken with a member of the House of Representatives before attending the event.
He reiterated that his company is involved in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with the Federal Housing Authority for the Ajoda housing scheme, and is committed to providing a unique housing solution.
Dr Mike also directed the participants’ attention to representatives of the Federal Housing Authority Mortgage Bank, noting that they help package loans for applicants and liaise with the Federal Mortgage Bank.
According to him, they handle the necessary paperwork to ensure applicants do not encounter problems during the process.
What's your reaction?
