FG probes 3,657 civil servants over ‘absence during IPPIS verification audit’

The federal government says it has concluded the verification of core civil servants receiving salaries under the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

Folasade Yemi-Esan, head of the civil service of the federation (HOCSF), spoke in Abuja on Tuesday during a news conference to commence the 2023 civil service week.

She said there is an ongoing investigation of 3,657 officers by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) for being absent during the verification audit.

Yemi-Esan said efforts are being made towards the implementation of the human resource module of IPPIS with a view to bridging the identified gaps in the system.

She also said 69,854 civil servants have been verified under IPPIS, while 3,465 officers recruited from 2017 to 2019 into the mainstream have completed the verification process. 

“As you are aware, prior to the introduction of the current mechanisms put in place to drive the implementation of the IPPIS, the system was bedeviled with considerable leakages and wastes as well as the incessant infiltration of ghost workers among others,” she said.

“We have also started to work on the non-core ministries, departments, and agencies (MDA’s) and so far, we have registered about 205,411 officers that are not core civil servants; that is, officers that work in agencies and parastatals of government.

“The next step is that we will go ahead and verify these officers to ensure that all the documents are correct and then move them into the IPPIS for salaries.”

She added that the exercise would be concluded by 2024.

‘FG DETERMINED TO REVIEW WORKER’S SALARIES’

Speaking on workers’ salaries, Yemi-Esan assured the civil servants of the federal government’s determination to review and harmonise the salaries of workers in the service.

She said the presidential committee on salary harmonisation is already on course, working to review salaries to reduce the disparities among Nigerian workers.

The HOCSF also said pensioners were not left out in the arrangements of pension structures to meet the present economic realities; adding that the annual performance evaluation report (APER) system would no longer be the criteria to assess civil servants’ performance for promotion beginning from 2024.

She said the government was working assiduously to ensure the full implementation of performance management system (PMS) in replacement of the APER.

“The concept is not new to the government. As you are aware, performance contracts and agreements were being used by the government before now,” Yemi-Esan said.

“Also, some agencies of the government have begun implementing an ideal PMS and are at different stages of evolution.