EXPOSE IDENTITIES OF 70,00 GHOST WORKERS DETECTED BY IPPIS —ASUU OWERRI ZONE DARES FG

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Owerri Zone has called on the Federal Government to disclose the identities of the seventy thousand ghost workers allegedly detected by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

The Coordinator of the Zone, which is made up of some universities in Imo, Abia and Anambra States, Comrade Uzo Onyebinama, told journalists in Owerri that such action would not only give credence to the claim but would go a long way in strengthening the anti corruption fight of the government.

He stated that Nigerians would like to know how the ghost workers were enrolled and how they withdrew such salaries as well as efforts by the authorities to prosecute the culprits. Comrade Onyebinama insisted that rejection of the IPPIS by ASUU was borne out of the findings of the lapses inherent in the system and added that the union had been vindicated by discrepancies noticed in the payment of February salaries of staff of some universities.

Comrade Onyebinama appealed to Federal and State Governments to set visitation panels to their institutions, check proliferation of universities and implement all agreements entered into with the union to ensure industrial harmony.

The news conference was attended by Chairpersons of Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State University Owerri, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu University Anambra State and Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State.

CHINAZO ILECHUKWU