The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has disclosed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will soon commence the prosecution of the 43,000 persons so far discovered as ghost workers on the payroll of the Federal Government.
She added that the Federal Government has saved the country about N4.5 billion through the ongoing nationwide Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, verification exercise.
The Minister disclosed these in Sagamu, Ogun State during her visit to the venue of the ongoing IPPIS verification of staff on the payroll of the Nigeria Police Force at the Area Command in Sagamu, Ogun State.
She revealed that the Federal Government has commenced discussions with EFCC regarding plans to prosecute the ghost workers already detected through the ongoing IPPIS verification exercise.
Adeosun assured that more ghost workers would be detected through the current IPPIS verification exercise and eliminated from the government payroll.
Her words, “Yes! We are in talks with the EFCC and they are going to start the prosecutions very soon. Some do not exist but get into the payroll through a fraudulent way and some people are collecting salaries from two or three places. In fact, some people died and no one told us about their demise but through this exercise such people will be discovered.
“But when people are fraudulent, they should be prosecuted and if it is an error may be you resigned and you have written letters that the government should stop paying salaries into your account, but they have refused, it will be unfair to prosecute such people.
“The figure (ghost workers) keeps changing. Just as I have said. Every day we keep cleaning up the pay-roll and this has been going on for a long time, but so far, it seems it is about 43,000, and it keeps on increasing. And we would continue until we remove all, because every time we remove those who shouldn’t be there, it creates room to employ those who are ready to work and create money to spend on things the country needs.”
While revealing that the IPPIS has reduced the monthly payroll of the Federal Government by N4.5billion, she said; “So far we have reduced what we pay monthly by N4.5billion and it has been increasing every day, because everyday those that are not supposed to be on the pay-roll are being removed.
“And we would keep on doing that until we are sure that everybody receiving salary from the Federal Government is valid and the only way we can do that is to pay salaries directly into their accounts, and we can also verify by using BVN to ensure that no multiple payment and that the people are alive. I think it is a very good thing.”
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