By Amos Aar
THE MANAGEMENT of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo (FUHSO) has denied an online media report (not National Record) alleging the withholding of workers’ salaries by the university’s management.
While FUHSO described the report as unfounded and lacking any concrete evidence or credible sources, it however acknowledged challenges being faced as a result of the non-capturing of the names of some staff in the data base of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
In a statement signed by Mr. James Onogwu, FUHSO’s spokesperson, and made available to National Record, the institution urged journalists to always investigate and balance their reports before publication to ensure the credibility of their news platform.
According to the statement IPPIS is a centralised database and payroll system implemented by the federal government for salary payment to its workforce and other payroll processes to ensure transparency and accountability.
According to FUHSO, the policy has seriously affected the morale of some staff who are yet to be captured on the data base.
“The policy requires all Federal Government employees to be enrolled on the IPPIS platform. So how then should somebody wake up and write that the school management is withholding somebody’s salary without understanding the system…
“The publication is mischievous and calculated attempt to dent the hard earned reputation of the fast growing federal government medical university in the North Central Nigeria and by extension, the pioneer Vice Chancellor, Prof. Innocent Ujah who has piloted the affairs of the Institution successfully in past four years, despite the constrains associated with pioneering such a new university from its foundation,” the statement reads in part.
FUHSO maintained that the allegations were based on disinformation and lack of understanding of the system, saying it is not within the powers of any vice chancellor, or federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to pay salaries as that is the responsibility of IPPS.
“It is incomprehensible to accuse the VC and the management of withholding the payment of staff salaries for a year. This to us is a clear case of misinformation, disinformation and cheap news reportage due to lack of diligent investigation.
“This reportage is not only lopsided; the report equally lacks factual basis and journalistic ethical balancing. In fact, the report is a deliberate mischievous narrative aimed at denting the integrity of the VC and igniting uprising within the very young University Community,” part of the statement read.
