The December 2014 salaries of federal civil will hit their accounts shortly, the Federal Government has assured. The processing of the salaries started on Friday and continued yesterday, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said through her Special Adviser Paul C Nwabuikwu.

“Also being processed are the salaries of the staff of 14 MDAs where there has been a misuse of the salary budgets to pay promotion arrears and other allowances,” Nwabuikwu said in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja.

He said that “in reaction to the wrong action, the IPPIS system, which is programmed to reject irregular procedures, had locked the MDAs in question out of the system. This led to the unfortunate delays.”

Nwabuikwu assured: “We have taken action to rectify the problem and the salary arrears of the staff of the affected MDAs will be paid along with those of their colleagues in other agencies.”

He explained that “the IPPIS system was set up to ensure the smooth running of payment processes to prevent delays because prompt salary payment is important to the Federal Government,” adding:

“The Federal Ministry of Finance urges all MDAs to desist from irregular actions which hamper the operation of the IPPIS system leading to payment delays and suffering for civil servants.”

•Photo shows Okonjo-Iweala.