The TSA saves N4bn, IPPIS uncovers 54,000 payroll scams

The National Security Adviser Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (retd.) has claimed that since the Federal Government adopted the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, it has discovered at least 54,000 payroll scams, adding that the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System has helped uncover over 54,000 payroll scams.

The NSA made this known during the National Policy Dialogue on Corruption and Insecurity in Nigeria organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission in Abuja on Friday.

Monguno noted that the incumbent regime would not change its judgments on the use of IPPIS despite continued resistance from some sectors, adding that the Treasury Single Account saves N4 billion per month, which he alleged could have been stolen by corrupt individuals.

He said, ”For instance, the dogged implementation of the Treasure Single Account in which more than 90% of all Ministries Departments and Agencies of the Federal government has resulted in the consolidation of more than 17,000 bank accounts previously spread across deposit money banks in the country, leading to monthly savings of about N4bn in bank charges.

”Furthermore, the expansion of coverage of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System against stiff opposition from some quarters and deployment of the Bank Verification Number to validate federal government payroll on the IPPIS platform has led to the detection of almost 54,000 fraudulent payroll entries.

”The whistleblower policy has also facilitated the cleansing of IPPIS compliance on TSA and saving of huge sums of money. Meanwhile, the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption in the discharge of its mandate was also the system anti-corruption agency to obtain forfeiture of assets suspected to have been fraudulently acquired from the state treasury before the culprits are prosecuted.”

He noted that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari (retd) is still committed to eliminating corruption in both the public and private sectors and that its anti-corruption campaign is still effective.

”At this juncture, permit me to emphatically state that successive governments in Nigeria have over the years risen to the occasion through emplacements of various measures and policies as well as the establishment of statutory institutions such as the ICPC and EFCC to combat this problem.

”The anti-corruption stance of the present administration of President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) is firmly anchored on his fore-mentioned assertion and it is vigorously being pursued across all spheres of governance including the private sector with appreciable outcomes,” he added.