54000 Fraudulent Payroll Entries Discovered In IPPIS – FG

About 54,000 fraudulent payroll entries have been uncovered in the Federal Government’s Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) as a result of whistle-blowing.

Gatekeepers News reports that the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd) said this at the National Policy Dialogue on Corruption and Security event yesterday in Abuja. It was organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Monguno said the expansion of the coverage of IPPIS against stiff opposition from some quarters and also the use of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) to validate the government’s stance on the payment platform aided the discovery

The application of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) in more than 90 per cent of all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the government helped in uniting more than 70,000 deposit money bank accounts in the country and saved about N4 billion worth bank charges.

Monguno said corruption had hindered the government’s ability to offer better life for its citizens and in turn affecting the country negatively.

The event discussed the current security challenges and the effects of corruption in the country.

The ICPC and other anti-corruption stakeholders called for the review of public procurement policies to reduce corrupt practices in the country.

The ICPC chairman, Bolaji Owasanoye, quoted data from the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) saying $15 billion had been squandered through fraudulent arms procurement deals in the last 20 years in the country.

“Recently, ICPC arrested a military contractor that received over a period of less than 10 years cumulative sum of about N6 billion from the Nigerian Army in suspicious circumstances and in violation of extant legislation.”

“Another case under investigation is theft of part of the special intervention fund approved for security operations by some civil servants in the line ministry who transferred about N1 billion to four Shell companies.”

“A special investigative team under the leadership of the NSA and ICPC recovered some of the diverted assets, including state of the art building located in Abuja and over N220 million cash. Investigation on this matter is still ongoing.” He said.

The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, present at the event said; “The National Assembly while looking into the possibility of unmasking the perpetrators of insecurity in Nigeria, realised the need for an anti-corruption law to stop illicit financial flows suspected to be funding routes for insecurity in Nigeria.”

“The 8th Assembly passed the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) Bill, which is one of the major anti-corruption laws that saved the country from being expelled from the global body of the Egmont Group.”

“In the same vein, the 9th Assembly, working closely with security and law enforcement agencies to further strengthen their capacity to withstand unscrupulous elements involved in criminal and terrorist activities against the state, passed three bills aimed at combating money laundering, terrorist financing and the proceeds of crime. These three bills are in tandem with this administration’s commitment to fight corruption and curb insurgency in the country.”