The reaction of theDirector of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS),
Olufehinti Olusegun, on the recent Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on whythe Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS),Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Nigeria Deposit InsuranceCorporation (NDIC) are not on the scheme that “It’s because theagencies are revenue -generating entities”, is one that lent no credenceto the fact that the transparency and accountability of the system is merely aclaim and not a reality.This is sobecause, the exemption of the said agencies in question contradicts thepresidential directive. Recall that President Muhammad Buhari, during the 2020budget presentation at National Assembly directed all federal Ministries,Departments and Agencies, staff to be enrolled into the system.
Also, theAccountant General of the Federation had on several occasions affirmed that thedirective is binding on all federal staff, then why the exemption of the saidagencies? For this reason, the explanation on why these agencies are notintegrated into the system by the scheme’s Director, Olusegun is incrediblyacceptable, unmerited and purported with dearth evidence, too weak to bejustifiable. So ASUU, Security agencies and other federal civil servants areeasy going and jejune for encroachment? ASUU is right that the scheme is ascam!
Is this not assertingthat there is something fishy within the corridor of the IPPIS that theAGF is trying to hide? Despite Olusegun’s concerted effort to credit andinfluence Nigerians on why the said agencies are exempted from the system, hiseffort has proved abortive. Are the exempted agencies not part of the federalestablishment?
Why should revenuegenerating agencies be exempted from audit? Are the exempted agencies immunedto be affected by the problem of ghost workers, salary padding, multiple salarypayment, improper employment record and illegal recruitment? Isn’t this abrazen selection of the so called war against corruption?
Nigerians are gulliblydeluded to have believed earlier that the system will surface transparencyacross all Federal Government establishments. Nigerians thought that it will bea system that will be holistically implemented without exempting any sacredcow, surprisingly however, it appears to be targeting ‘soft’ agencies with adearth claim that they are not revenue generating institutions.
It’s funny thatthe CBN and FIRS that coordinate our national revenue are at liberty to manageit as they wish.
The first set of people that the government should enroll if it is serious about mopping excess liquidity, curbing corruption are revenue generating agencies. If some agencies remain docile cows to some few individuals and cannot be integrated into the system, then abandon it entirely.
Rabiu Musa is an Intern with PRNigeria Centre, Kano and can be reached via [email protected]
