The issue of fraudulent practices within the Nigerian government has once again surfaced, with President Bola Tinubu revealing a disturbing discovery. A startling revelation has emerged regarding approximately 116 federal civil servants who have reportedly relocated abroad but continue to receive salaries from Nigeria. This revelation sheds light on the widespread problem of ghost workers and fraudulent activities in the country’s public sector. The disclosure of such a scheme highlights the critical need for increased civil service oversight, accountability, and reforms to combat such fraudulent practices and ensure that public funds are allocated responsibly and ethically. CHIBUZOR EMEJOR writes

By President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) has revealed that, so far, 16 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) have submitted the names of 116 civil servants who have relocated abroad while receiving salaries in Nigeria without formal resignation.

In an exclusive interview with Saturday INDEPENDENT on Thursday in Abuja, Mr. Adeoye Adeleke Ayodeji, Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, revealed that the OHCSF had sent letters to all MDAs directing them to provide the Office with the names of defaulters.

Ayodeji explained that the names of the affected civil servants are currently being forwarded to the IPPIS Unit for verification of their numbers in preparation for further disciplinary action.

According to him, “What we are currently working on is confirming those IPPIS numbers to ensure that names match IPPIS numbers.

“We want to be completely certain so that we do not punish the innocent. Where the numbers correspond to the names, the salaries of such civil servants will be suspended immediately.

“Secondly, we will request that the relevant MDAs initiate a disciplinary procedure. These MDAs will submit their reports to the Disciplinary Committee, which will meet and recommend appropriate disciplinary action.”

He assured that the Public Service Rule would be strictly followed in the administration of justice to avoid miscarriages of justice.

Ayodeji stated that the Federal Government will take additional steps, including legal action, to recover the funds paid to these corrupt civil servants.

He also clarified that not all MDAs have cases of civil servants who have absconded or relocated abroad without formal resignation while still receiving federal government salaries.

He did, however, state that the submission of the names of the affected civil servants is still ongoing and that the Office expects to receive more names.

He also stated that MDAs that have previously taken action against these corrupt practices are expected to report the issues to the OHCSF for confirmation.

The Permanent Secretary emphasised the importance of exercising due diligence in all cases to avoid punishing innocent people.

On the issue of sanctions for Agency Heads who may have conspired and colluded with fraudulent civil servants, Adedeji stated that the same rule would apply to them.

Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, the Federation’s Head of Civil Service, recently made a shocking and startling revelation during a media briefing in Abuja as part of activities commemorating 2024 Civil Service Week.

While fielding questions from reporters, Yemi-Esan revealed how she has battled endemic corruption in the Federal Civil Service.

She stated that the verification exercise conducted by the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) exposed some fraudulent activities carried out by some civil servants.

Speaking further about the use of IPPIS in the fight against corruption, she stated that 1,618 civil servants were caught with forged employment letters or were illegally employed.

She stated that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Crimes Commission (ICPC) had launched an investigation into over 3,600 people who refused to present themselves for verification.

As part of measures to combat corruption in the Federal Civil Service, she stated that her Office had directed MDAs to conduct a head count of all employees on their payroll.

She stated that this initiative has begun to bear fruit, as many employees, particularly those from government agencies, who had relocated or pursued further education abroad without formal approval had been exposed.

Her words: “There are efforts to address Nigerians who have relocated abroad to work in the news industry but are still on the civil service payroll.

“The federal government is putting pressure on them, as many of them are voluntarily resigning following physical verifications.

“A circular was recently distributed to all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) directing them to conduct a physical headcount in their respective MDAs.

“That means that everyone on the nominal roll who is paid should appear in person, and the names of those who did not show up for the exercise should be forwarded.

“In the circular, I stated that Permanent Secretaries and Chief Executive Officers who provide incorrect information will be held accountable if anything other than the information provided is discovered.

“I anticipate that once the verification report is received, anyone who is not in the country will automatically lose their job.

“What we discovered in the last month of that verification is that most of them are now resigning from their positions, which is a positive development.”

Yemi-Esan also revealed that 69,308 civil servants are currently on the Federal Government payroll, following thorough verification by the Committee set up to carry out the exercise.

In response to this unfortunate development, President Bola Tinubu ordered the refund of salaries collected by civil servants who relocated abroad while still receiving salaries without formally resigning.

Tinubu, who issued the order at the 2024 Civil Service Award and Gala Night, also demanded that the Supervisors and Heads of these fraudulent civil servants be punished for assisting and abetting the fraud under their supervision.

Tinubu, who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, said he was struck by the revelations made by the Head of the Civil Service about employees who relocated abroad while still receiving salaries without formally resigning.

President Tinubu stated, “During my recent visit to South Africa, I kept up with the week’s activities and was particularly struck by the revelations shared by the Head of the Civil Service regarding employees who had relocated abroad while receiving salaries without formally resigning.

“It is encouraging to hear that steps have been taken to address this issue, but we must ensure that those who are responsible are held accountable and restitution is provided.

“The perpetrators must be made to repay the money they fraudulently collected. Their supervisors and department heads must also be punished for assisting and abetting the fraud while on their watch.

“The Nigerian Civil Service cannot simply be a workplace where ‘anything is possible,’ where workers break the rules without fear of punishment or repercussions.

“The civil service of any nation is too important for such behaviour to take root or be tolerated.”

The President referred to the Civil Service as “the bedrock, engine, locomotive of government, which is required for the government to deliver public goods to citizens.”

“As politicians, we are no more than drivers of the locomotives that you provide,” he said.

“Those who say that a country is only as good as its civil service are close to the mark. You are the true establishment that will continue to guide government affairs as politicians come and go.”

He explained that over the years, successive governments had launched various National Development Plans and programmes, all of which relied on the Civil Service to translate such plans into high-impact programmes and projects across all sectors of the national economy.

According to a recent BBC report, a 36-year-old Nigerian civil servant (name withheld) who relocated to the UK in 2022 is still receiving his Nigerian civil service salary.

In an interview with the medium, despite working as a taxi driver in the UK, he revealed to the BBC that he continues to receive N150,000 per month from his government job in Nigeria due to an understanding with his boss.

He stated, “When I heard about the President’s directive, I smiled because I know I am doing better here and am not worried.”

When asked why he refused to resign from his position after moving to the UK, he stated that he expected to return after spending some years abroad.

“To be honest, I did not resign because I wanted to keep that option open in case I wanted to return to my job after a few years,” he explained.

In an exclusive interview with Saturday INDEPENDENT in Abuja, a legal luminary, Onyedi Nnorom, decried the Nigerian Civil Service’s systemic corruption.

Nnorom called for a total purge and radical reform of the civil service, warning that government policies and programmes are doomed to fail due to widespread corruption in the civil service.

While calling for stringent measures to restore accountability, transparency, and effective service delivery in the civil service, he advocated for immediate prosecution of the heads of agencies who colluded with these civil servants who have relocated abroad but continue to collect salaries in Nigeria.

The legal luminary also urged the Federal Government to take stringent punitive measures against accounting officers in the affected MDAs who authorised the payment of salaries and other emoluments to these fraudulent public employees.

He claims that “corruption has weakened and undermined the effectiveness of the Nigerian civil service.”

He maintained that those who aided and abetted such corrupt practices should be turned over to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) for proper investigation and prosecution to serve as a deterrent to other workers.

According to a labour union activist who requested anonymity, the discovery of civil servants who have relocated abroad but continue to receive salaries in Nigeria is only the tip of the iceberg.

He tasked the Federal Government and MDA Heads to be serious, deliberate, and decisive in the fight against corruption, not only in the civil service but throughout society.

He cited poor working conditions, irregular promotion, nepotism and favouritism, a poor working environment, and low remuneration as some of the challenges confronting Nigerian civil servants, warning that unless these issues are addressed, corruption will continue to thrive in the civil service.

It should be noted that in June 2022, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms announced that the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System had identified and removed approximately 70,000 ghost employees, saving the government at least N220 billion.

In July 2020, the Federal Ministry of Finance announced that it had identified over 50,000 ghost workers on various MDA payrolls.

In 2018, the Federal Government discovered ghost workers among the recipients of the N-Power Scheme, a social investment programme aimed at empowering young Nigerians.

The discovery was made thanks to the Bank Verification Number system, which assisted in identifying multiple accounts linked to a single person.

During a May 2017 audit of its payroll system, the government discovered an additional 11,000 ghost workers.

The effort was part of a larger campaign to combat corruption and inefficiencies in the civil service.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration discovered more than 23,000 ghost workers on the federal payroll in March of 2016.

According to reports, the removal of ghost workers saved the government N2.29 billion per month. (Saturday Independent)

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