Sagay Says Obasanjo is ‘Childish’ For Making His Letter Public

An eminent Professor of Law, Itse Sagay (SAN), has branded
former President Olusegun Obasanjo “childish and immature”, for
making his letter to President Muhammadu Buhari public.

Obasanjo in the letter released by his media aide, Kehinde
Akinyemi, had expressed worry over high level of insecurity in the
country.

Sagay, speaking to the Nation, however, agreed with the points
raised in it.

“As far as I’m concerned, Obasanjo’s main motive is publicity,
the capacity to embarrass the President, and for adulation.

“He sustains a mentality of being superintendent-general of
Nigeria and not accepting that he is no longer in power. It’s all
part of it.

“What he said could have easily been communicated by phone; the
letter could have been delivered privately. I find writing it to
the whole country immature and childish. He made a serious point,
and then spoilt it by the way he presented it.

“If he had said it quietly to the President, it would have been
acceptable. Is he not embarrassed that he’s the only former
president doing it? Gowon and Abubakar are there, just to mention
two. Even Jonathan, who was defeated by Buhari, is there. It’s too
childish and immature. It takes away from the quality and the
strength of the message he’s trying to deliver,” he said.

Sagay also urged Buhari to sustain efforts in tackling rising
insecurity.

“Is the President not already doing that? Can he be the
President and not be concerned? Already, the Vice President has
spoken of steps being taken – that the roads are going to be
heavily monitored by the Police and soldiers.

“I don’t disagree too much with Obasanjo on substance. It is his
style that I disagree with, as well as the so-called conference of
ethnic stakeholders. I don’t see its relevance. We’ve held so many
other conferences out of which nothing came except mutual abuse and
insults.

“I think what the President should do is to sustain a very
vigorous onslaught and not rest until the bandits and insurgents
are rooted out and Nigeria is made safe again.

“He is already doing it and he must sustain it so that we can be
free of this menace to our freedom and peace of mind,” Sagay
added.

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AGF meets ASUU, SSANU, NATT Leadership over IPPIS
Platform

The Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris FCNA,
had enjoined the National Executive Members of ASUU, NASU, SSANU
and NATT to embrace coming on board the IPPIS as it is for the good
of the Nation.

The AGF who was represented by the Director IPPIS Mr. Olugbenga
Olufehinti at the interactive meeting with the Union Executives
explained that the essence of the meeting was to seek the
cooperation of stakeholders to achieve a seamless enrolment in
compliance with the presidential directive which is geared toward
transparency and accountability for good governance.

He buttressed his point by bringing to the notice of the
stakeholders that IPPIS has the capacity to accommodate over two
million of Federal Government employees and flexible enough to
accommodate all peculiarities as the case may be of Universities.
Stating that it is already in the public domain the fact that IPPIS
presently has a current staff count of 755, 422 from 561 MDAs as
against 235,858 in 2015.

According to the AGF, the tremendous increase in enrolment, has
created a cumulative savings of over N273,809,842,071.99 (Two
Hundred and Seventy-Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Nine Million
Eight Hundred and Forty -Two Thousand, Seventy-One Naira,
Ninety-Nine Kobo) on IPPIS platform between 2017 and 2018 which
would have been lost but now available for Government to deploy to
other uses.

The AGF further explained that it is worth mentioning that the
centralized payroll will be prepared by the individual University
but coordinated by IPPIS while the total management of the human
resources rest squarely with the Universities. This will not in any
way compromise the autonomy of the Universities.

Similarly, all deductions such as PAYE, NHF, NHIS, Check-off
dues etc. deducted from staff salaries are remitted to appropriate
accounts as at when due and in addition, the Unions stand to gain
more as the System is transparently run.

According to the AGF, It is his believe that the University
community being the bedrock of Knowledge, Centre of reforms that
always strive for probity, transparency and accountability for good
governance will

help in bringing to bear all these rare qualities in the
implementation of IPPIS. He further added that the centralized
payroll will be prepared by the individual University but
coordinated by IPPIS while the total management of the human
resources rest squarely with the Universities, assuring the unions
that they will not compromise the autonomy of the Universities.

Mr. Ahmed through the Director concluded by urging all involved
to ask relevant questions from the drivers of the scheme which
would be gladly answered as well as have an open mind towards the
course as the engagement continues.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of National Universities
Commission (NUC), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed told Union members that
the issue of tax would be uniform across the country, adding that
all the Universities would negotiate their taxes by themselves.

Ojo A. Olubunmi

P. I.O

for: DD/Head Press & Public Relations (OAGF).