By Tina George, Minna
The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Ahmed Idris has disclosed that 711 Ministries, Departments and Agencies are currently implementing the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) across Nigeria.
Idris stated this during the nationwide IPPIS payroll training for IPPIS role players by his office in Minna.
According to him, the office is working to decentralize the IPPIS as part of its business re-engineering process.
Idris, who was represented by the Director IPPIS, Ben Nsikat noted that the training is as a result of the complexities of the IPPIS and to ensure that desk officers are given access at the back end to carry out certain responsibilities.
The AGF stated that the shortfalls in salaries being experienced in some MDAs is being addressed, adding that a lot is being done to perfect the IPPIS system.
He cautioned the desk officers to be careful in guiding the access to the privilege they have been given and prevent corruption in the IPPIS system.
Niger state governor, Abubakar Sani-Bello said the state government had begun partnering with the federal government towards the implementation of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) in the state.
According to him, it is evident that the IPPIS will reduce the tendencies of corruption in the system, which seems to be unabated despite the continuous steps taken by government to curtail it.
Sani-Bello, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Matane noted that the salaries of workers in the state continue to increase despite the number of retirements, dismissals and death records of workers that have occurred.
The Deputy Director of IPPIS of Federal Capital Territory, Mr Ekwem Virginus said that IPPIS have reduced corruption and helped the government to determine its actual workforce, thereby saving money from being paid to ghost workers.
“The introduction of IPPIS into the nation’s public service system has entrenched transparency, accountability in the payroll. It has ascertained the actual workforce, accurate salaries and wages, deductions and taxes as well as other third party dues remittance of payroll deductions and personnel emoluments and planning for personnel budget,” he said.
