Salami raised the alarm during an anti-corruption radio programme, Public Conscience, produced by the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development, PRIMORG, Wednesday in Abuja.
Assessing the gains and challenges of the IPPIS during the radio programme, Salami described the IPPIS as an excellent initiative to promote accountability in the public service but expressed discontent over the failure of the system to eliminate ghost workers from the government’s payroll to date.
She maintained that given the processes and requirements needed to be met by federal government employees before enrolling into IPPIS, the continued existence of ghost workers on the payroll means “there is sabotage within the system.”
“I’m enrolled in the IPPIS because I work for the federal government. Since I registered in the IPPIS, I have not had any issues with my salary or payment. IPPIS, as designed, is a very good thing to have happened to us.
“As regards the issues of ghost workers, I know the enrollment process into IPPIS, so it is still very strange to find ghost workers in the system. To be enrolled in the IPPIS, you are going to come in with your employment and confirmation letter, your school certificate, and all other documents, so how would anyone be enrolled without these documents that show that there are criminal elements in the IPPIS sabotaging the system? It is for government and the institution itself to fish them out and prosecute them.”
Salami said it was disappointing that the government is not punishing payroll thieves, adding that consequences for such crimes will serve as a deterrent for others.
To address the menace, she tasked civil servants to use whistleblowing as a tool to combat ghost workers’ syndrome. “What we all must do, especially civil servants, is to continue to blow the whistle on these fraudulent activities,” Salami advised.
