By Palma Ileye
Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) and heads of Federal Colleges of Agriculture across the country have thrown their weight behind the Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture (ASUCA) on its call for a review of the disbursement of CATA funds and the proposed exit of the colleges from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
The Executive Secretary of ARCN, Dr. Abubakar Adamu Dabban, stated this when he received the national leadership of ASUCA, describing the move as significant to the effective management of human resources in the institutions.
Dabban said the Federal Colleges of Agriculture occupy a strategic position in Nigeria’s agricultural development architecture, noting that beyond producing skilled manpower, the institutions contribute to research, innovation, extension, entrepreneurship, technology transfer and practical solutions to challenges in the agricultural sector.
He said the proposed transition from IPPIS should not be viewed merely as a change in payroll platforms, but as an opportunity to strengthen personnel administration and improve institutional efficiency.
According to him, the personnel and payroll management system supporting the colleges must be responsive to their peculiar operational realities.
“The proposed transition from IPPIS should be understood within this broader objective. It is not simply an administrative exercise or a change in payroll platform.
“Rather, it presents an opportunity to strengthen personnel administration, improve institutional efficiency and establish a system that better responds to the specific requirements of agricultural education, training and related institutional activities, while maintaining the principles of transparency, accountability and compliance with government regulations,” he said.
The ARCN boss, however, stressed that greater flexibility must be accompanied by stronger accountability, warning that the transition must not create room for payroll irregularities, duplication of personnel, ghost workers, unauthorised payments or financial leakages.
He called for accurate and regularly updated staff records, comprehensive personnel verification, effective internal controls, proper authorisation procedures, periodic audits and robust digital monitoring mechanisms.
Dabban also assured the union of the council’s support, saying the process must protect the interests of the Federal Government, the institutions and staff who depend on an efficient and reliable personnel administration system.
Also speaking, the President of the National Committee of Heads of Colleges of Agriculture and Related Disciplines (NACHCARD), Dr. Chukwu Chukwu, expressed support for the ASUCA position.
Chukwu, who was represented by the committee’s Secretary, Dr. Jude Ejike, said the body would support the union in every possible way to improve staff welfare and service delivery.
Ejike said the support was aimed at enhancing manpower planning, facilitating the timely replacement of critical personnel, improving staff deployment and strengthening institutional productivity.
Earlier, the National President of ASUCA, Comrade Dr. Kadurumba Chukwuemeka, solicited the support of the ARCN and heads of the colleges, saying the move would further boost the morale of lecturers in the institutions.
He noted that the Federal Colleges of Agriculture have unique staffing structures and operational requirements, comprising academic staff, technologists, instructors, extension specialists, farm managers, administrative personnel, technicians and other technical and support workers.
He said their duties were closely linked to practical agricultural training, research, extension and institutional production activities, making it necessary for their personnel management system to reflect the peculiarities of the institutions.
The stakeholders 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.
They said such collaboration would ensure a smooth and coordinated transition that minimises disruption to salary administration and institutional operations while establishing a sustainable framework for effective human-resource management.
