[Nigeria] Officers who failed IPPIS verification to be removed from federal payroll

In Nigeria, officers whose records cannot be verified on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) now face delisting from the payroll after the Federal Government’s October 27 deadline was reached, Business Day reports.

Folasade Yemi-Esan - Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF) - announced the move in a statement on October 25. According to the statement, signed by Director of Communications, Mohammed Ahmed, in her office; the two-week exercise had been extended as a gesture of goodwill for officers who missed previous verifications.

The Federal Government reportedly initiated the IPPIS in 2007. It was intended to achieve transparency, accuracy, safety and reliability in the management of personnel records while controlling unnecessary costs.

“In 2013, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), as the keeper of official records and information on all public servants, was tasked with cleansing the payroll records,” Mohammed said.

The OHCSF introduced a verification portal in April 2017 and encouraged all public servants to update their records online. A comprehensive awareness campaign was conducted through official, traditional and social media. The initial three-month compliance period was later extended to one year in May 2018 to accommodate all officers, marking the first phase.

The second phase reportedly involved physical verification. IPPIS staff visited Ministries, extra-ministerial Departments and Agencies (MDAs) across the nation. 

“In this regard, 500 OHCSF staff were trained and deployed to the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT between 2018 and 2019, ensuring that officers could verify their records in their respective states,” Mohammed said.

Following seven years of financial and HR investment to verify the records of all civil servants on the IPPIS platform, the OHCSF reluctantly began suspending the salaries of those who failed to participate in the exercise from September 2023.

“In response, some non-compliant officers urgently requested a final opportunity to comply,” Mohammed said. “The portal was graciously reopened from October 3-13, 2023, for them to update their records.”

These officers were subsequently required to come to Abuja for their physical verification after the OHCSF had exhausted budgeted funds and could not deploy further staff to the states. Arrangements were made in designated areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Despite some initial challenges, the two-week exercise, ending on October 27, 2023, is reportedly proceeding smoothly now.

In addition, Mohammed stated that non-compliant officers are responsible for any inconveniences they experience from their failure to adhere to official directives. He said, “The verification of records of all civil servants will be finalised at the end of the ongoing exercise, and any officer whose record cannot be verified will be removed from the government payroll.”

Source: Business Day

(Quotes via original reporting)

In Nigeria, officers whose records cannot be verified on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) now face delisting from the payroll after the Federal Government’s October 27 deadline was reached, Business Day reports.

Folasade Yemi-Esan - Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF) - announced the move in a statement on October 25. According to the statement, signed by Director of Communications, Mohammed Ahmed, in her office; the two-week exercise had been extended as a gesture of goodwill for officers who missed previous verifications.

The Federal Government reportedly initiated the IPPIS in 2007. It was intended to achieve transparency, accuracy, safety and reliability in the management of personnel records while controlling unnecessary costs.

“In 2013, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), as the keeper of official records and information on all public servants, was tasked with cleansing the payroll records,” Mohammed said.

The OHCSF introduced a verification portal in April 2017 and encouraged all public servants to update their records online. A comprehensive awareness campaign was conducted through official, traditional and social media. The initial three-month compliance period was later extended to one year in May 2018 to accommodate all officers, marking the first phase.

The second phase reportedly involved physical verification. IPPIS staff visited Ministries, extra-ministerial Departments and Agencies (MDAs) across the nation. 

“In this regard, 500 OHCSF staff were trained and deployed to the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT between 2018 and 2019, ensuring that officers could verify their records in their respective states,” Mohammed said.

Following seven years of financial and HR investment to verify the records of all civil servants on the IPPIS platform, the OHCSF reluctantly began suspending the salaries of those who failed to participate in the exercise from September 2023.

“In response, some non-compliant officers urgently requested a final opportunity to comply,” Mohammed said. “The portal was graciously reopened from October 3-13, 2023, for them to update their records.”

These officers were subsequently required to come to Abuja for their physical verification after the OHCSF had exhausted budgeted funds and could not deploy further staff to the states. Arrangements were made in designated areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Despite some initial challenges, the two-week exercise, ending on October 27, 2023, is reportedly proceeding smoothly now.

In addition, Mohammed stated that non-compliant officers are responsible for any inconveniences they experience from their failure to adhere to official directives. He said, “The verification of records of all civil servants will be finalised at the end of the ongoing exercise, and any officer whose record cannot be verified will be removed from the government payroll.”

Source: Business Day

(Quotes via original reporting)