FG Extends Civil Servants’ Screening on IPPIS Portal Until Friday

The Federal Government has once again extended the deadline for federal civil servants to verify their identities on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) portal.

In a circular signed by the IPPIS management, which was obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, the government announced an additional one-week extension, allowing civil servants until Friday, August 23, 2024, to update their information on the portal. The circular also confirmed that the process of collating and validating all submitted information has begun.

This latest extension follows an initial directive from the government that required all employees registered on the IPPIS to update their details as part of a broader effort to curb salary fraud. The directive, issued by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, initially set a deadline of July 31, which was later extended by two weeks, ending on August 15.

The push for verification came after a case was reported of a Nigerian citizen living abroad who continued to receive a monthly salary despite having left the country years earlier. In response to this incident, President Bola Tinubu ordered that any civil servants receiving government salaries after relocating abroad must refund the money. He also stated that supervisors and department heads found to have facilitated such fraudulent activities would face disciplinary actions.

During a recent visit to South Africa, President Tinubu expressed his concern over the issue, emphasizing the need for accountability. “It is heartening to hear that measures have been taken to address this issue, but we must ensure those responsible are held accountable and restitution is made,” Tinubu said. “The culprits must be made to refund the money they have fraudulently collected. Their supervisors and department heads must also be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud under their watch.”

The new circular, titled “Notification of Closure of Payroll Validation Portal,” outlines the government’s decision to extend the deadline until Friday, August 23, 2024. It also warns that any employee who fails to comply with the directive by the deadline will be suspended from the payroll.