FG saves N230bn from IPPIS implementation – Accountant general

.Says universities, polytechnic workers must be enrolled

.To begin full implementation of IPPIS October end

The implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) has saved the country the loss of over N230 billion in three years.

Nigeria gained over N50 billion, N100 billion and N80 billion respectively, in 2017, 2018 and 2019 which would have been lost to fictitious payment of salaries and pensions.

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The IPPIS is an information Communications Technology (ICT) project initiated by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of payroll administration for its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Accountant General of Nigeria, Mr. Ahmed Idris, made this disclosure on Monday at the National Assembly when he led the management of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) on a budget defence before the Committee on Finance.

He said the IPPIS is one of the Public Finance Reform Initiatives of his office.

Idris said government stand the chance of making more money once workers in public universities and polytechnics are enrolled on the IPPIS payment scheme in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive in his 2020 budget speech that all Federal Government workers must be enlisted.

He said workers in those tertiary institutions would be compelled to submit to government decision.

Other Initiatives of the Office under his leadership, he said, include the Treasury Single Account (TSA), the GPMIS budget execution platform, Audit laboratory and audit modernisation through IT audit driven system.

The Accountant General said the office has 18 departments domiciled in its Abuja headquarters, 36 federal pay offices in the 36 states of the federation, six zonal offices and the Federal Treasury Academy which is the training arm of the office.

Defending receipt and spending of capital vote in its annual budget, he said construction of permanent federal pay offices are ongoing in some states, rehabilitation works carried out at the head office, money expended on the Treasury Academy.

The chairman, Senate committee of Finance, Sen. Adeola Olamilekan, commended the Office of the Accountant General for its many reform Initiatives in public finance.

The Chairman said there is the need for the Committee to meet with the office of the Accountant General, revenue generating agencies and the Fiscal Responsibility Commission to fine-tune further revenue generating methods.

The Senator said there should be concerted effort by revenue generating agencies to meet the N3.17 trillion earmarked from Other Revenues in the 2020 budget proposal.

Adeola promised that the committee will make all efforts to make the Fiscal Responsibility Commission more responsible to its statutory functions.

In another development, the Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to full implementation of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) before the end of October.

Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, Acting Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), made the disclosure on Monday in Abuja at a capacity building workshop, organised by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM).

Yemi-Esan said that the Federal Government would stop staff members of the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) that were not under the system from collecting salaries by the end of October.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that CIPM, established in 1968 and chartered by Act No. 58 of 1992, is the apex regulatory body for the practice of human resource management in Nigeria.

Part of its core mandates is to develop and maintain high standards of professional competence and ensure that the management of human resources in Nigeria, both in the public and private sectors, conforms to professional standards.

NAN also reports that the workshop, held in collaboration with the office of the HOCSF, was attended by Heads of States` Civil Service and Permanent Secretaries across the 36 states of the federation.

While stressing the need for others to key into the IPPIS initiative, Yemi-Esan explained that it was one of the mechanisms introduced by the government to improve efficiency in service delivery to Nigerians.

According to her, the system has very good objective, which was meant to improve efficiency in the payroll system, enhance data integrity, eliminate ghost workers and consolidate staff records and management.

She, however, said that while appreciable work had been put in place since the commencement of IPPIS, the process had also met with some impediments, particularly the refusal of some public servants to be enrolled.

“Notwithstanding this however, we are working round the clock to remove all the bottlenecks for the full implementation of the module, particularly following Mr President`s directive to that effect come October end,” she added.

While tasking the states’ HOCS on service delivery in their respective states, Yemi-Esan said that public service had tried to reform itself and that a lot had been done even though the result had yet to be achieved.

“You will agree with me that managing people, which is crucial for change, is the most challenging and the most critical component of any institutional or organisational transformation process.

“A very good example, which many of us can relate to, can be drawn from the period between the late 90s and the turn of the millennium when government initiated moves to introduce e-governance to the public service.

“First by introducing ICT tools such as desktop computers to replace the manual typewriters.

“I discovered that the innovation met with the considerable amount of resistance, particularly from those who felt that their securities were threatened and that their schedules will be taken away from them,” she said.

Dr. Christopher Kolade, in his presentation entitled “Role of the Professional-led Bureaucracy in Nation Building”, advocated for giving chance to professionals in all sectors of government system.

Kolade said this was in the best interest of nation building, as they could play significant role in developing the needed human capacity with their God-given skills.

As the country was transforming the public service sector, he called on public servants to demonstrate professionalism, transparency and impartiality in the performance of their duties, if the nation would achieve its objectives.

Earlier in his address, Mr. Wale Adediran, President/Chairman of the Governing Council of CIPM, said the purpose of the workshop was to obtain skills to transform the nation’s public service into the 21st century service system.

Adediran explained further that the aim was to facilitate and catalyse sustainable development at national, state and local government levels.

“As the apex regulatory body for the practice of HR in Nigeria, CIPM has been championing initiatives that drive professionalism and capacity development of organisations and people.

“In the light of the critical and strategic role that a professionalised civil service plays in sustainable national development and economic growth, there is the need for professionalisation of civil service, particularly the human resource functions,” he said.