The Federal Government has threatened to stop the salaries of 720 civil servants who it said currently have “insufficient records” on the government’s centralized payroll system, the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System.

The threat was contained in a circular signed on behalf of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, by the Director, IPPIS-Service Wide Department, Mrs A. I. Attah.

Our correspondent, on Sunday, obtained a copy of the circular dated October 28, 2020, and marked HCSF/PS/CMO/IPPIS/1289/Vol. I.

The circular, which was addressed to all permanent secretaries, Directors of Human Resources Management and all the affected officers, was titled: ‘Suspension of salary of employees with insufficient IPPIS Human Resource records’.

According to the circular, the 720 affected civil servants were given the grace of between October 30 and November 6, 2020, to perfect their records or have their salaries suspended with immediate effect.

The affected officers were directed to present documents such as their personal files at the point of entry into service and original copies of their credentials for final clearance of issues surrounding their dates of birth and dates of first appointment.

The circular read in part, “Respective MDAs are required to confirm the identity of the affected officers from their ministries through letters duly endorsed by the Director (HRM), otherwise they would not be attended to.

“You are cordially requested to inform the affected officers to note that after the affected the expiration of the period, the salaries of non-compliant officers would be suspended on the IPPIS’ platform with immediate effect.

“Please bring the content of this circular to the attention of the affected officers.”

Analysis of the attached list of 720 affected officers showed that the Ministry of Works and Housing has the highest figure with 118 affected officers in the Works component of the ministry and 108 officers in the Housing component.

The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has 75 affected officers; Ministry of Health, 65; Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, 62; while the Ministry of Information and Culture has 60.

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had earlier directed that salaries of government workers who failed to enrol on the IPPIS platform be stopped. (The Punch)

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