Nigeria cuts 23,000 'ghost workers' from government payroll ...
FG Uncovers 60,000 Ghost Workers | Nigerian News from ...
So how come these numbers never reduce? This is due to the lack of a comprehensive implementation of GIFMIS, BVN and IPPIS - which the PMB government is now insisting upon, sometimes to resistance from strange quarters:
EFCC detects 37,395 ghost workers in federal civil service, says Magu
By . | Publish Date: Apr 19 2016 5:22PMRead more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/efcc-detects-37-395-ghost-workers-in-federal-civil-service-says-magu/143155.html#6qWhKJHsb7lJhSQ4.99
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said in Abuja on Tuesday that it had detected 37,395 ghost workers on the payroll of the federal civil service.
The Acting Chairman of the commission, Mr Ibrahim Magu, announced the figure at an anti-corruption sensitisation programme.
Magu said that apart from the widespread procurement frauds in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the issue of ghost workers was a source of serious concern for the commission.
He said that current investigations by the EFCC had revealed that the Federal Government lost about N1 billion to ghost workers recently.
``The EFCC has uncovered 37,395 ghost workers in the federal civil service. And investigation is still going on.
``Our investigations have so far revealed that the Federal Government has lost close to N1 billion to these ghost workers.
"The figure will definitely increase as we unravel more ghost workers buried deep in the federal civil service payrolls,'' he said.
Magu also said that the commission had established a procurement fraud unit to handle the increasing number of petitions relating to violations of the public procurement laws.
He advised civil servants to avoid any acts in breach of public procurement, warning that violators risked terms of imprisonment and dismissal from service.
``In regard to procurement frauds, there has been a sharp rise in the number of petitions coming to the commission relating to violations of the Public Procurement Act 2007.
``That is what informed my setting up a procurement fraud unit which has since commenced investigations of procurement fraud cases with some of those cases already in courts.
``Let me warn that civil servants found guilty under the Public Procurement Act risk terms of imprisonment ranging from five years to 10 years and in addition may face dismissal from the service.
``The commission is determined, more than ever before, to rid all MDAs of all forms of fraudulent activities,'' Magu said.
The chairman also said that the commission intended to place suggestion boxes at designated places for people to drop petitions and reports of corrupt practices to assist it in the fight against corruption.
The Permanent Secretary (Works and Housing), Alhaji Abubakar Magaji, in his paper, said that as the drivers of government policies, MDAs should be in the forefront of compliance to public service laws and regulations.
``It is rather sad that over time, the laws, regulations and standard practice governing the operations of the public service are being neglected and often abused, in many cases with impunity.
``The MDAs are expected to be in the forefront of compliance to extant laws and regulations because they collectively constitute the engine room of the government.
``They are responsible for the implementation of government policies and programmes.
"Therefore, the success or failure of such policies and programmes are fully on the shoulders of public officers,'' he said.
Magaji said that the works and housing sectors had resolved to regularly organise interactive sessions to educate officers on the importance of compliance to extant laws, regulations and guidelines.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme was organised by the commission for workers in the works and housing sectors.
It featured paper presentations by staff of the EFCC on its legal and operational activities. (NAN)
Read more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/efcc-detects-37-395-ghost-workers-in-federal-civil-service-says-magu/143155.html#6qWhKJHsb7lJhSQ4.99
About N5 billion saved as 23,846 ghost workers are removed from government payroll
The Federal Ministry of Finance says it saved the Federal Government N2.29 billion monthly since December 2015 which is about N5 billion by eliminating 23,846 ghost workers from its payroll.
This is contained in a statement on Sunday in Abuja by Mr Festus Akanbi, Special Adviser, Media, to the Minister of Finance.
The Ministry stated that the salary bill for February 2016 had reduced by N2.293 billion when compared to December 2015.
According to the ministry, the figure represents a percentage of the number of non-existing workers who had hitherto been receiving salary from various ministries, departments and agencies.
According to the statement, its findings are made possible due to ongoing Bank Verification Number (BVN) staff audit and enrollment to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
It noted that the findings showed that some civil servants' salaries were not consistent with the names linked to the accounts into which their salaries were paid.
It said that some individuals in this category were either receiving salary payments from multiple sources, parastatals or they were non-existent workers.
It also stressed that the suspected cases of ghost workers were further being investigated in conjunction with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
"The Federal Government is also taking actions to pursue recovery of salary balances in bank accounts as well as any pension contributions in respect of the deleted workers.
"This involves active collaboration with the concerned banks and the National Pension Commission (Pencom).
"The Ministry noted that the Military Pension Board had revised the amount payable for its due pension contributions on a monthly basis by N575m, following its annual verification for military retirees.
"This reduced the number of pensioners by 19,203 as a result of deaths since the last verification in 2012.
"The Federal Government, in its efforts to reduce personnel cost, is determined to continue the verification programme on a regular periodic basis," it stated.
The statement reiterated the ministry's dedication to duty in managing government's personnel costs which represented over 40 per cent of total government expenditure.
The statement further stressed the ministry plans to undertake periodic checks and utilise Computer Assisted Audit Techniques under its new Continuous Audit Programme.
"This will ensure that all payments are accurate and valid. Requirements for new entrants joining the Federal Civil Service have also been enhanced to prevent the introduction of fictitious employees in future.
"The ongoing exercise, which is part of the cost-saving and anti-corruption agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari's administration, is key to funding the deficit in the 2016 budget.
"This is because savings made will ultimately reduce the amount to be borrowed,".The ministry said.
The statement also addressed the recent call by the leadership of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) that the panel members investigating the cases of indicted civil servants be drawn from both government and labour.
The ministry explained that the request could not be acceded to, as the investigations were of a criminal nature and would therefore be handled by the appropriate investigative agencies
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