Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria has decried the shortage of academic staff in some of the institution’s faculties, attributing it to thee deployment of Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS).

Prof. Kabiru Bala, the Vice-chancellor of the university, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen on the sidelines of the 2023 induction ceremony for 67 inducted doctors from the institution.

Bala, represented by Prof. Danladi Ameh, ther Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), said the university was in need of more academic staff, not only in the College of Medical Sciences but in other faculties, such as the Faculty of Arts.

“Specifically, in the Department of Philosophy, they need more academic staff, as the department has been managing with sabbatical and contract staff.

“Since the deployment of IPPIS, we have not been able to pay for them and they subsequently disengaged, hence the imperative of lifting the ban on employment for the university.

“We will love to have liberty to employ more staff. Currently we can not employ, even if we do, we can’t pay them because we don’t have the means to pay them,” he said.

The vice-chancellor, therefore, requested that universities should be given the autonomy to employ new staff.

He urged the inductees to go out and perform well, work with confidence and make their alma-mata proud.

Bala said that the inductees had received all requisite trainings from ‘good hands’ and that they had demonstrated it to the public while practicing.