With the announcement that a further 6,000 ‘ghost workers’ have been weeded out of the Federal Public Service, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has hinted at salary increases for those who remain.
Mr Buhari said a committee had been set up to harmonise salaries as part of measures at improving “the value proposition of the Civil Service”.
“In spite of the difficult economic situation the country is passing through at the moment, you have continued to support efforts to bring dividends of democracy to the populace,” Mr Buhari said.
“Accordingly, it is my hope that the outcome of the committee’s work will provide the impetus for an upward review of the salaries of deserving Civil Servants.”
The announcement came as Head of the Federal Public Service, Folasade Yemi-Esan, said 5,000 ghost workers had been uncovered at the Ministry of Information, with another 1,000 at the Ministry of Labour.
She said the Director of Human Resources at the Ministry of Labour had been handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission.
Ms Yemi-Esan (pictured) also said many of the fake workers were detected through the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) platform.
“You will be surprised at the number that did not have certificates and have been earning salaries for 10-to-20 years,” Ms Yemi-Esan told a press conference.
She said the IPPIS had also caught out officers who had falsified their age in order to postpone retirement.
“We saw quite a number who had been earning salaries for 10 or 20 years past their retirement age,” the Public Service chief said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu has urged all Public Servants to “imbibe the culture of excellence and improve their knowledge towards contributing positively to national development”.
Speaking in support of Civil Service Week, Mr Adamu said the Public Service remained the most potent and viable instrument available all over the world for the implementation of policies and programs of Governments.
“Public Servants must avail themselves of the opportunities that the Service provides, as this is crucial to remain relevant in the fast-changing, highly-technological modern work environment,” Mr Adamu said.
Abuja, 27 June 2022
