From Fred Itua, Abuja
The Federal Government has suspended the salaries of 243 workers who failed to participate in the verification exercises, as they are suspected to be ‘ghost’ workers.
Federal Government workers were directed to update their records online on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The government had on December 26, 2021, threatened to suspend the salaries of 1,173 of its workers by January if they fail to comply with the directives.
According to the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, OHCSF, the supposed ‘ghost’ workers were uncovered in the ministries of Information and Culture; Labour and Employment; Agriculture and Rural Development; Education; Works and Housing; and Youths and Sports Development.
Other departments and agencies where ‘ghost’ workers were uncovered according to OHCSF include the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and some federal government colleges.
This was revealed in a circular with the reference number: HCSF/CSO/HRM/1137/Vol.1/T6/31 signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Career Management Office, OHCSF, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, in Abuja.
The circular partly read: “It will be recalled that in an effort to roll out the human resource module of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation issued various circulars calling on public servants to update their records online on the IPPIS verification platform.
“The office carried out sensitisation and publicity in both the print and audio media to further draw the attention of public servants to this very important exercise.
“The exercise was meant to facilitate the identification of ‘ghost’ workers in order to curtail avoidable financial excesses in personnel costs, while also ensuring credible staff records.
“Consequently, the verification portal was opened for all public servants from April 2017 to May 2018 to enable them to carry out the online records’ updates. Another opportunity was given from November 2019 to March 2020. However, despite all the publicity and circulars to Ministries, Department and Agencies, some employees in the core MDAs did not comply with this directive and were suspected as ‘ghost’ workers.
“The salaries of 243 officers in the attached list have been suspended from the IPPIS platform immediately. Officers in the list are, therefore, advised to appear in person at the office of the Permanent Secretary, CMO of the OHCSF before April 15, 2022, with all relevant documents and credentials to prove that they were duly employed by the Federal Civil Service Commission.”
Of the total 243 suspected ghost workers, 91 were recorded In the Ministry of Labour and Employment, headed by Dr Chris Ngige, while 48 were from Lai Mohammed’s Information and Culture Ministry.
A warning to this effect was issued by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation in December, which was contained in a circular marked HCSF/PS/CMO/POL.III/T/62 with the title, ‘Conduct of IPPIS human resource records verification exercise for employees in the Nigerian foreign missions.’
It was signed by the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, and addressed to the affected workers and ‘A’ list attached to the circular.
The circular also confirmed the total number of employees as 1,173.
The circular read in part: “The Head of Civil Service of the Federation has approved the opening of the verification of the IPPIS records verification portal for officers who did not update their records as earlier directed. The closing date is Friday, January 7, 2022.
“In view of the above, all the affected officers as contained in the attached list are advised to visit the IPPIS verification portal to update their records no later than the above-stated closing date.”