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Tag: IPPIS

  • IPPIS didn’t remit workers’ N26.6b NHF in two years, says FMBN

    IPPIS didn’t remit workers’ N26.6b NHF in two years, says FMBN

    The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) has said the Integrated Personal Payrol information System (IPPIS) did not remit N26.6 billion of workers contributory funds in two years.

      FMBN’s Managing Director Madu Hamman said this yesterday in Abuja while appearing before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee probing the non-remittance to the National Housing Fund (NHF) and Utilisation.

    According to him, from October to December 2022, there were 40 per cent unremitted payments to FMBN resulting from revenue drive by the Federal Government and a total of N11.630 billion was involved.

    “From January to December 2022, N11.587 billion was not remitted as backlog payments for MDAs from IPPIS, while N3.356 billion was not remitted from April to July 2021 as outstanding failed payments for 2021 from IPPIS,” he said.

    Hamman explained that some NHF payments meant to be paid to FMBN as housing contributions had been wrongly made into the Federal Government Loan and Scholarships Board, saying 14 MDAs were affected by the wrong payments.

    The bank boss said all contributors were eligible for a full refund of their contribution over the years, including accrued interest of 2 per cent upon retirement.

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    Others, he said, were by attainment of 60 years or inability to continue due to incapacitation or death, adding that FMBN had refunded N66.678 billion to 444,637 beneficiaries.

    Speaking on projects executed through various means, Hamman said FMBN ensured that it gave loans to register members of the association of developers.

    He added that FMBN also had the regular primary mortgage bank from interested individuals where it disbursed N139.6 billion to 24,332 beneficiaries.

    On the ministerial pilot scheme, Hamman said the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing provided land for those on the scheme, adding that it had spent N38 billion to build 5,443 units of housing.

    Reacting to the allegations, Deputy Director of IPPIS in the Office of the Accountant General, Mr. Ekwem Dem, said: “On our own part, we are just hearing some of these allegations.”

    The deputy director said, for instance, the ‘no work, no pay’ rule for members of ASUU remittances was still hanging.

    He added that there was a need for a reconciliation window, “so, we can see the area of convergence”.

    Committee Chairman Dachung Bagos said the committee would go on oversight of some of the projects claimed to have been executed by FMBN and where they are located.

    “We are going to do some random checks to see the utilisation of this work. We are going to oversight all these projects

    “We need to know why the Nigerian civil servants are not given what is due to them, even if we have to go with a tricycle; we will go.

    “Some of us are engineers. We are going to receive some of these things, we must get value for our naira and Nigerians must get value for their money,” he said.

  • Questions for IPPIS

    Questions for IPPIS

    • How come ghost workers are paid through the platform undetected?

    At least 14 persons have testified to receiving salaries as Federal Government workers when in actual fact they are not posted to any establishment. They made the disclosure during their appearance before the House of Representatives Committee investigating Job Racketeering at the Federal Character Commission (FCC), last week.

    Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Gagdi, said that the witnesses were invited after the committee got to know about their statements of account and payment to one Haruna Kolo, a former IPPIS Desk Officer and Chief of Protocol to the commission’s chairman, Farida Dankaka.

    The witnesses said the salaries were paid into a bank account belonging to Kolo, on the platform of the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS).

    One of those who testified before the committee, Gbadamosi Jalo, said Kolo registered him on the IPPIS portal and he was subsequently given an appointment letter supposedly issued by the National Institute of Oceanography. He said he has been receiving salaries ever since.

    Musa Ibrahim, a potential beneficiary of the racket said he paid to one Abdullahi Azareh, who acted as the linkman to the FCC commissioner representing Nasarawa State.

    He added that the said Azareh was initially arrested by the Nasarawa State Police Command following a series of petitions against him, only to be released, according to Ibrahim, following the intervention of some FCC commissioners.

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    Twelve other persons also made similar allegation.

    If true, these experiences would confirm the porosity of the  IPPIS. It would also be a classical example of the ghost workers syndrome that has robbed governments at all levels of huge sums of money. Ironically, IPPIS itself was adopted by the Federal Government, to, among others, check the incidence of ghost workers in the federal public service. It just tells us that any system is as fool-proof as those operating it want it to be.

    Even the chairman of the committee wondered about the IPPIS porosity: “If Kolo was finding it easy to go to IPPIS to register payees without the knowledge of authorising officers, the IPPIS needed to answer a lot of questions.”

    These sordid tales is also a pointer to the abuse that otherwise noble intentions of government can be subjected to. FCC was established primarily to ensure fairness in job placements in the Federal Public Service. Although some people would argue that such commissions should not last forever because the conditions precedent when they were instituted were expected to fade out over time; that is beyond the question here. The reality is that it is still in existence but  now abused by some elements in the system to serve dysfunctional purposes.

    That these cases have manifested at the FCC is not to say that they would be isolated cases. Given the pervasive nature of corruption in the country, it is almost certain that such incidents would be found in many other government establishments, local, state or federal.

    Clearly, this is a huge racket that should interest the Federal Government. What roles have the accountants been playing in these frauds? What of the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation? FCC is not one of the money spinners like some other establishments. So, where did the salaries being paid these jobless workers come from?

    Again, this is confirmation of the existence of so much money that is in the care of the Federal Government which the government itself is not aware of its existence. There are  several questions begging for answers from these revelations alone and we have no doubt that if the investigation is thoroughly conducted, more cans of worms would be exposed.

    The next question would be whether the government has the political will to get to the root of the matter, with a view to getting those involved arrested and prosecuted.

    We do not know how long these 14 and probably others too have been collecting salaries. We need to know. We also need to know how pervasive the fraud is.

  • Move to IPPIS or face the consequences, AGF warns MDAs

    The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Ahmed Idris, has advised Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)  of Government to comply with the directive to move their payrolls to the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS), or be ready for the consequences of their action.

    AGF Idris Ahmed warned that the Treasury will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive is fully complied with.

    A statement from the Office of the AGF issued yesterday and signed by Oise D. Johnson, Head, Press and Public Relations (OAGF), said the AGF gave this advice, while receiving the Acting Inspector General of Police Mr. Abubakar Adamu who was at the Treasury House on a courtesy visit.

    Idris Ahmed was said to have commended the Nigeria Police for showing example by complying with the directive of President Buhari, and was quoted to have said that “the Nigeria police have been fully integrated into the IPPIS platform and their successful enrolment has paved the way for the enrolment of the Nigerian  military which has further demonstrated the robustness of the platform and our avowed commitment to a transparent, accountable and efficient management of the nation’s funds in line with the global best practice”

    Furthermore, the Accountant –General of the Federation underscored the enormous roles the Nigeria police play in maintaining peace and security in the country, saying there is need for the police to be supported with adequate funding. He promised the continued support of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation  in ensuring that all approvals due to the Nigeria police are timely released to enable them effectively deliver on  their  mandate to the Nigeria people .

    Earlier in his remarks, Mr. Adamu extolled the cordial relationship existing between the Nigeria police and the OAGF, describing it as “a very strategic partnership  in the business of policing the nation”.

    He commended Mr.Idris for his exemplary leadership which has culminated in the effective implementation of the various financial reforms which have helped  the police in meeting most her financial challenges.

    Mr. Adamu called for more collaboration between the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Nigeria police.

  • Doctors gear towards suspending strike

    Doctors gear towards suspending strike

    The National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD) has accepted to present outcome of re-negotiated Memorandum of Terms of Settlement (MTS) reached with Federal Government to members on Sept. 8.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new MTS was reached at the end of the meeting between federal delegate and the Executives of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), and NARD.

    Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment had led the Federal Government delegation.

    NAN reports that representatives of Ministry of Health, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, and Office of the Accountant General of the Federation attended the meeting.

    Also in attendance were representatives of Budget Office of the Federation and National Salaries, as well as Income and Wages Commission.

    Speaking to newsmen after the session, Ngige said the meeting resolved that executive of NARD should present the outcome of the re-negotiated MTS to its members at an emergency session on Sept.8

    “This is with a view to suspending the strike once there is evidence of payment of the Mandate to the affected Institutions as presented at the meeting.

    “No member of NARD will be victimised as a result of this strike if suspended.

    “This reconciliation meeting is, however, adjourned to re-convene on Nov. 2,’’ he said.

    On the issue of salary shortfalls, Ngige said the meeting resolved that payment would be made directly to the affected Federal Tertiary Health Institutions for Doctors and Staff that had been verified.

    The minister also said the meeting agreed with NARD’s demand for a 100 per cent payment of salaries to its members.

    He said the meeting also observed that the shortfalls were basically experienced by those who were not on the IPPIS platform termed “Non Regular Allowances/Payments”.

    “In this regard, it is expected that the 100 per cent payment will be implemented as from October,’’ he said.

    He, however, said the meeting also agreed that all Resident Doctors should be captured on IPPIS platform by the end of October.

    He also said the Federal Government would appeal to State Governments and Organisations that owe salary shortfalls/emoluments to Health workers to make genuine efforts to liquidate them.

    Ngige said this was in the spirit of revamping the Health Care System in the country.

  • IPPIS: How public servants collected salaries from four ministries

    IPPIS: How public servants collected salaries from four ministries

    • Task Auditors, Accountants on anti-graft battle

    By outsmarting the Federal Government Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS), some public servants allegedly collected salaries from four different federal ministries, the Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta said yesterday.

    Nta disclosed this at the commencement of a 3-day anti-corruption and fraud prevention training organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), a research and training arm of the ICPC in Keffi, Nasarawa State.

    The chairman said that as a result, the commission had partnered with Office of the Auditor General, Office of the Accountant General and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to monitor and execute corruption risks assessment on the various electronic-governance platforms.

    According to him, prior to the e-governance platforms, government organisations required signatures of 12 persons at different levels before monies were disbursed, but due to the e-governance platform, it had been trimmed, thus the final signatory could outsmart other few officials in the system.

    However, he called for a review of the payment system for better effectiveness.

    His words: “It has been done on pension platform; it has been done on IPPIS platforms, where you find one person collecting salaries in four different ministries. People would have gone home to sleep that IPPIS is the answer to our problem. No, it is not. We must keep fine-tuning. I keep saying, where the accountants and auditors end their functions is where ICPC starts.”

    “A typical anti-corruption approach will be let’s wait for people to take money or abuse that system, begins to make arrests and it all goes on the front-pages of newspapers but what we do in ICPC that might not be on front-pages of newspapers is by running corruption risk assessments of all e-government platforms,” he added.

    Earlier, Provost of the Academy, Professor Sola Akinrinade, said that the fight against ‎corruption must spread across all level of governments if the federal government must succeed in its anti-corruption campaign.

    He noted that relevant stakeholders including state and local governments should complement efforts of the present administration.

    Akinrinade, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Mathew Ameh said the anti-corruption and fraud prevention training was organised for state commissioners for finance and auditors to build their capacity ‎on issues relating to finance and to entrench accountability and probity in their operations.

    He added that it was important to extend government efforts to the states and expand the advocacy against corrupt practices.

    “Given the situation in ‎which we have found ourselves as a country especially our corruption-induced arrested development, the war must be fought at every level if we are to achieve a lasting and sustainable result,” Akinrinade added.

    In his remark, the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris said the federal government through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), Treasury Single Accounts (TSA) and the E-Collection system had strived to reduce corrupt practices in the country.

    He added that the fight against corruption should be collective rather than being left to the federal government as sole responsibility.

    Idris who was represented by the ‎Director, Revenue and Investment, Dr. Bakare Wadinga‎ urged the state, local government and other ‎stakeholders to join the drive to sanitise the system.

    In his remark, ‎the Auditor General of the Federation, Mr. Anthony Ayine lamented the spate of corruption stressing that it was becoming a culture in the country.

    He said there was need for transparency, accountability adding that deliberate and moderate measures should be introduced ‎to achieve good governance.

    Ayine noted ‎that though the federal government had rolled out to good measures among which is the Whistle Blower policy.

  • IPPIS not antidote to ghost workers, says AGF

    IPPIS not antidote to ghost workers, says AGF

    The Auditor – General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Samuel Ukura, yesterday said that  the introduction of Integrated Personnel Payroll Information Systems (IPPIS) is not cure for ghost workers syndrome in the country’s public service.

    The AGF noted that ghost workers syndrome would continue in the country unless the management and implementation of IPPIS is checked by relevant authorities.

    Ukura gave the warning while presenting the 2014 Annual Audit Report to the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikashuwa, in Abuja.

    He claimed that unidentified staff of Soft Alliance Limited, the software developers, have unhindered access to the data base of IPPIS and usually set up new users and change live data, from time to time.

    The AFG told reporters after presenting his audit report that the password controls for access to IPPIS are not adequate because the database can be accessed remotely through the Internet.

    He added that the password to access the IPPIS database does not expire after 90 days.

    The situation, he said, makes it possible for retired government officers to use their password even after leaving office.

  • Fake doctor owes Fed Govt N17m

    Fake doctor owes Fed Govt N17m

    An assessment by Integrated Personnel and Payment Information System (IPPIS) has shown that Martin Ugwu Okpe, who impersonated his friend to work in the Ministry of Health since 2006, owes the Federal Government more than N17million in salaries and allowances.

    IPPIS arrived at exactly N17,024,017.90 through pay slips and performance evaluation cards as money Okpe owes government.

    The amount excludes tax and union dues through nine years which were paid to the government, according to IPPIS.

    The health ministry is looking for “full retrieval” of money that accrued to Okpe in the past nine years, according to Permanent Secretary, Linus Awute.

    Okpe worked in the Department of Health Planning Research and Statistics as a Grade-12 senior medical officer using the credentials and name of a Dr George Davidson Daniel, his friend and a doctor doing residency in Jos.

    Okpe was charged to court last Tuesday  and remanded in Kuje prisons pending the fulfilment of his bail condition. The court will hear the case on October 10.

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  • Hospital sues striking workers

    The management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, Delta State, has sued its striking workers at the National Industrial Court, Akure, Ondo State.

    The workers, under the aegis of Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), had on March 18 gone on strike to protest alleged shortfall in their February salaries and allowances.

    The union’s spokesman, Davidson Akinlaya, said the workers were not happy with the management. He said they would not resume, until their salaries are paid in full.

    Akinlaya alleged that the management had refused to comply with the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), which should have forestall shortfall in salaries.

  • Oil workers criticise new payroll

    OIL workers have warned the Federal Government to halt the planned implementation of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) in the oil and gas sector, describing it as not conformable.

    Speaking against the backdrop of a deadline by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to some agencies in the industry, the workers said if the government insists on imposing the IPPIS, they would shut it down.

    Speaking in Lagos at the weekend, the President of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN), Babatunde Ogun and the National Public Relations Officer, Comrade Seyi Gambo, said the government agencies were operating an International Financial Reporting System (IFRS) and there was no need to introduce a new one.

    Ogun noted that the current system is easy and makes auditing of personnel possible.

    He said: “We, PENGASSAN, have written to the Ministers of Petroleum Resources, and Labour and Productivity, as well as the Accountant-General of the Federation on our reservations about the planned implementation of the IPPIS policy in our industry. We are against our industry being used a guinea pig to try all forms of policies that is not working in other industry,” he said.

    Gambo explained that the new system has some defects. “The IPPIS does not include allowances that are pre-determined because of their technical nature.”

  • Lecturers in colleges of education vow to continue strike

    Lecturers in colleges of education vow to continue strike

    The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has warned the federal government against implementation of retroactive policies that will hamper the teacher-education system and the entire sector.

    Its National President, Nkoro Asagha, gave the warning yesterday at the expanded National Executive Council meeting held at the Federal College of Education (Special) Akinmoorin, Oyo State.

    Asagha lamented that the demands of the union remain unmet despite painstaking moves to dialogue with the federal government.

    He said only the constitution of the Needs Assessment Committee had been met.

    “This,” according to him, “is in spite of the critical role of Colleges of Education as the fulcrum of every form of education.

    “Yet, the plight of the system, and those within it, which is much more crucial in the education sector of the country than those of other tertiary institutions aforesaid, rarely comes to limelight until more damage has been done. ”

    He accused the Federal Ministry of Finance, through the Budget Office and the Office of the Accountant General of the federation, of seeking a path towards hasty implementation of the Integrated Personal Pay role Information System (IPPIS) imposed by the federal government without due consideration of the implications on the smooth running of the institutions.

    The imposed IPPIS, Asagha noted, has not been certified full-proof as evident in the discrepancies already registered in its pilot implementation.

    He warned that ”the Colleges of Education system cannot be used as guinea-pigs for quasi-economic policies in the guise of checking leakages in government expenditure profile.”

    Asagha vowed that the union will not call off its strike until some of the issues critical to the development of colleges of education are fully implemented by both the federal and state governments.

    They include teaching practice, non-accreditation of NCE programmes, non-release of white paper on Visitation Panel Reports, non-implementation of CONPCASS and non-institution of dual mode.

    Others are non-harmonisation of conditions of service, group life insurance, non-implementation of 65 years retirement age, non-implementation and payment of peculiar allowances, poor infrastructural development and funding.