President Bola Tinubu has been urged to call the Head of Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan, over the ongoing Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) verification for 17,000 federal civil servants whose salaries have been put on hold since September.

It was gathered that the details of the affected civil servants were not captured by the IPPIS to partake in the registration exercise.

It was also learnt that all the affected workers were mandated to show up for a physical exercise in Abuja from Monday, October 16 to Friday, October 27, 2023, at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), Kubwa Expressway, Abuja.

One of the affected staff, who spoke on a condition of anonymity, expressed concern for the ongoing IPPIS exercise in Abuja, saying that the process should prioritise the safety and well-being of civil servants.

Proposing a decentralised approach, he suggested screening across the six geo-political zones to ease the burden on the affected 17,000 staff and prevent potential stampedes, citing a recent unfortunate accident involving colleagues from Gombe.

He said: “We are faced with inhumane treatment as we grapple with the screening process.”

The civil servant shed light on the urgent necessity for a safer and more streamlined screening procedure, especially considering the overwhelming crowds and associated risks.

According to him, “We believe in the Renewed Hope Agenda championed by President Bola Tinubu and the principles of employee welfare and safety must be upheld during this vital exercise. This administration stands true to its commitment to the well-being and prosperity of all workers as the ethos set forth by the exemplary legacy of Tinubu’s governance in Lagos state.

“During Tinubu’s tenure as the governor of Lagos state, civil servant welfare stood as a shining example of dedication to public service. The emphasis on employee welfare not only boosted morale but also enhanced productivity, setting a standard that advocates believe should be upheld at the federal level.

“The workers are frustrated, only 30 people were attended to on Monday by the IPPIS officials despite the number of people involved. There are about 5,000 people who gathered at the centre today, many of them are nursing mothers and more are still on their way from across the country,” he added.

Speaking on the way out of their predicament, he further stated: “We are demanding the decentralisation of the exercise to lessen the burden and frustration of the affected workers. South-West can do theirs in Lagos, South-East in Enugu or somewhere there and same for other regions instead of asking 17000 to come to Abuja and only doing 30 in one day.”

Another staff who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “The concerned people should see what civil servants are going through and come out with better ways of carrying out this exercise as soon as possible, please.

“This is what the inefficiency of those who took decisions on this exercise reduced civil servants to. This is so unfortunate and unprofessional of the head of the service, they are supposed to schedule a timetable for different ministries and not tell everyone to meet like this, this can result in injuries on some people or stamped,” he said.(The Nation)