[JUST IN] IPPIS Probe: Reps to sanctions MDAs flouting federal character in recruitment

The Ad-hoc Committee of the House of Representatives probing allegations of employment racketeering and gross mismanagement of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System IPPIS has threatened to recommend sanctions to the executive arm of government on some erring Ministries, Departments and Agencies MDAs for flouting the constitutional federal character provision in their recruitment and staff placement.

Chairman of the House Committee Hon. Yusuf Gagdi issued the threat on Thursday during the ongoing investigative hearing on the matter wherein he said that many of the government agencies querried had grossly flouted the provision of the law on the inclusion of persons from all the six geo-political zones in employment.

The Committee had grilled the Director-General of the Nigeria Institute for Typononmiasis and Onchocerciasers Research Dr Joseph Ajakaiye and the Registrar Nigeria Council for Food Science and Technology Mrs Veronica Eze on their agencies lopsided staff recruitment where they were all faulted.

Ajakaiye who was grilled on the nominal role of staff, sequence of employment and sundry issues said that the agency was established in 2019 through an Act of the parliament.

He further told the House Committee that there were 65 new personnel that were engaged by the agency that are fully employed and captured by the IPPIS platform for payment of salaries and other emoluments.

He added that the agency got approval from the Head of Service of of the Federation and compliance certificate from the Federal Character Commission.

But the Committee chairman and other members from the documents picked holes with the issue of geo-political spread of the staffers saying that the agency it did not comply with the constitutional provision on federal character.

Also in her presentation, the Registra, Nigeria Council of Food Science and Technology Mrs Veronica Eze said that the agency only carried out recruitment in 2022.

She told the House panel that the agency was created in 2019 and they got approval from the Head of Service of the Federation and the compliance certificate from the Federal Character Commission FCC to employ the staff.

However, the Committee Chairman Hon. Gagdi and Hon. Oluwole Oke who said that the agency only recrited only persons from four geo-political zones asked the Chief Executive Officers to prepare their nominal roll of staff on state by state basis.

Gagdi said that the the Federal Character Commission FCC that is supposed to sanction the lopsided employment in government agencies is aiding it by issuing these agencies compliance certificates on their recruitments.

He added that the Committee will not hesitate to recommend sanctions to the executive arm of government on the defaulting agencies in their report to the House.