In a move aimed at ending government employees receiving salaries while residing abroad, the federal government has directed that all employees registered on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) should update their details.

The directive came from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) via a circular signed by Dr. (Mrs) Oluwatoyin Madein.

Beginning from tomorrow (Monday, July 1, 2024), government employees are required to access the newly deployed OAGF-IPPIS Payroll Validation Portal to update their personal and payroll information. The update window will close at midnight on Wednesday, July 31, 2024.

The foregoing information was disseminated through a federal treasury circular addressed to the Chief of Staff to the President, all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the Clerk of the National Assembly, the National Security Adviser and Heads of internal audit, accounts divisions, and diplomatic missions.

Dr. Madein emphasised the importance of the exercise, noting that “upon successful submission of the update, employees are expected to print three (3) copies of the completed record update summary page which will be used in the future for physical staff verification exercises.”

Further explaining the necessity of the new measure, she said: “It has become necessary to issue guidelines following the observation that some critical payroll records are inaccurate or incomplete; hence the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation is in the process of updating and validating the payroll records.”

The OAGF has developed a user-friendly validation portal to streamline this process. Employees are instructed to visit the OAGF website at www.oagf.gv.ng to access the portal. To complete the update, employees will need their IPPIS Number, Salary Account Number, and a valid Tax Identification Number (TIN), which can be obtained via the Joint Tax Board (JTB) site: https://tinverification.jtb.gov.ng/.

Dr. Madein warned that failure to comply with this directive would result in suspension from the payroll, stressing that “all employees are expected to update their Payroll Information on the Portal within the period stated above unfailingly. Any employee that fails to avail himself/herself of this opportunity will be suspended from the payroll.”

Accounting Officers, Directors/Heads of Finance and Accounts, and Internal Audit Units of MDAs and other arms of government have been instructed to ensure compliance and give the circular the widest possible circulation.

Last week, President Bola Tinubu mandated that civil servants drawing salaries while residing abroad should be made to refund the money. The President also said that supervisors and department heads found to have facilitated such fraudulent activities will face disciplinary actions for their complicity.

A source within the OAGF, who preferred anonymity, said “this is the first step in the process to sanitise the system as directed by Mr. President.”

This stringent measure reflects the government’s commitment to enhancing accountability and integrity within the public service. (The Nation)

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