By Abimbola Ogunnaike
The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan, on Tuesday, 25 July, 2023, has revealed that at least 1,618 civil servants with fake employment letters were uncovered by the government.
Esan also noted that the government was working towards an upward review of the Duty Tour Allowances of civil servants.
Speaking with selected journalists in Abuja ahead of the 2023 Civil Servants Week, she noted that a committee was working towards salary harmonization in the civil service.
“The Presidential Committee on Salary Harmonization is working to review salaries to reduce the disparity. Earlier, 40 per cent of Basic salary approved by FEC, as Peculiar allowance with effect from January 2023. Also, we are working towards Upward Review of Staff Duty Tour Allowance.
“On the issue of procurement of insurance cover for the federal government employees from 9th February 2023 to 8th February 2024; and payment of backlog of death benefits to over 1500 deceased officers to their beneficiaries from 2021 to date. On the third pillar of FCSSIP 25, the Office of the Head of Service has been working towards the implementation of HR Module of IPPIS with a view to bridging the identified gaps in the system. As you are aware, prior to the introduction of the current mechanisms put in place to drive the implementation of the IPPIS, the system was bedevilled with considerable leakages and wastes as well as the incessant infiltration of ‘ghost workers’ etc.
“Consequent upon the identified loopholes in the IPPIS, the Office introduced control mechanisms. Notable among others was the inauguration of a Committee on Enrolment of Newly Recruited Civil Servants on the 1st of March, 2021. Hence, this and other initiatives in accelerating the roll-out of the HR Module of the IPPIS have brought about the following: Detection of 1,618 fake/illegal employment letters; Continuous suspension of Officers from IPPIS platform for not uploading their records; Verification of 69,854 officers across the core MDAs in FCT and the six (6) geo-political zones.”
Meanwhile, the Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, on Tuesday noted that there won’t be a delay in payment of July 2023 salaries for civil servants. She made this clarification during the meeting with the HOS Abuja.