DIRECT savings from yearly appropriations of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) has grown to over N100 billion.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed said this on Tuesday in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at a retreat.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the retreat was organised for relevant stakeholders on IPPIS by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).

The retreat had as its theme: “The role of MDAs in the implementation of IPPIS and its effect on Workers’ Condition of Service and Government Revenue.’’

Ahmed , who was represented by her Special Adviser, Prof. Armstrong Takang, said that more than 519 MDAs had been brought under the policy.

She added that government personnel found to had been involved in the inclusion of ghost records on the platform were being prosecuted, while some were already serving jail terms.

NAN reports that through the platform, the Federal Government had recorded successes such as savings and cost reduction, elimination of manual and file based system, as well as reduction and elimination of corruption and sharp practices.

Others are enabling accurate and reliable information about the size of government’s workforce, while embracing the use of scientific budgeting and estimation.

Ahmed , however, said that until the platform was efficiently implemented to the stage where it was impossible to insert ghost employees or automatically remove retired personnel and transfer them to pension records, the aim of the policy would not be achieved.

The minister charged the participants to provide strategic direction for continuous implementation of the policy in their MDAs and ensure effective personnel budgeting during budget preparation.

“Thus, it is expected that there would be a renewed drive to capture all outstanding MDAs on the platform, while ensuring the continuous verification of the personnel records on the IPPIS system.

“It is also imperative that the IPPIS platform be fully integrated with all the modules of the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).

“This is to ensure transparency and accountability in the implementation of the IPPIS policy,’’ she said.

Ahmed added that there was the need for a quarterly forensic audit exercise of the platform to dissuade corrupt officials and ensure the continuous sanctity of the system.

Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, said activities toward the Human Resources (HR) module of the platform had commenced fully with the online records update.

She said other modules include learning management, payroll, business intelligence and self-service, adding that the learning management component was on course and training of 25, 000 civil servants would commence soon.

On his part, Mr Ahmed Idris, the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) revealed that in 2017, the Federal Government saved N67 billion and N130 billion in 2018 on personnel cost using the platform.

He said that over 700,000 staff were captured on the IPPIS platform, 39 Nigeria Police Commands and three formations, four para-military agencies and retired heads of service and permanent secretaries as against 285 MDAs with over 235,009 staff in 2015.

According to him, the trial payroll for the military and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will commence in May.

Idris, however, said that in implementing the platform, there were challenges of institutional resistance, lack of commitments from MDAs and conflict of roles and laws among the stakeholders.

He said that the retreat would therefore help stakeholders understand their roles in ensuring smooth compliance and integration on the platform.

“All MDAs are to comply with the presidential directive that all MDAs that draw their personnel cost from the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) should join IPPIS.

“The implication of non-compliance with this directive will lead to such MDA’s personnel cost being withheld. This is to guide against further revenue leakages,’’ she said.

The IPPIS was implemented in April 2007 with seven pilot MDAs to centralise payroll and payment systems, facilitate convenient staff remuneration payment with minimal wastage and aid manpower planning and budgeting. (NAN)

– Apr. 30, 2019 @ 15:32 GMT |