FG Saves N243Billion In Three Years, Senator Adeola Commends IPPIS

AISHA ABUBAKAR

The Chairman of Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Lagos West), has commended the introduction of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information Systems, IPPIS, in all Federal Government establishments as the system has saved Nigeria a whopping N243 Billion in less than three years.

The Senator gave the commendation during the 2020 Budget defence by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, OAGF, when the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idriss, disclosed that the system is working in all MDAs except universities and polytechnics that are resisting inclusion in the salary payment system.

“I am glad and want to commend the government for this huge savings on recurrent as established by the Accountant General. There is every need to reduce the huge chunk of recurrent to free fund for capital projects for the people in our budget and the IPPIS is a good system that is working” he stated.

The Senator stated that his committee will not do any budget defence in secret for all agencies under it as the budget is a public document adding that more fund could be saved from agencies of government if expenditures follow strictly the laws of the land instead of rampant usage of ‘Circulars’ or ‘memos’ to authorize expenditure of such agencies.

“Henceforth the issue of using circulars and memos to authorize expenditure must stop as it will no longer be tolerated for breaching the laws of the land. Money must be spent according to laws passed by the National Assembly and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If any agencies wants to spend funds in a particular manner not envisaged in the Act establishing them or the Constitution, they must come by way of amendment to the National Assembly and not spend money based on circulars” he stated.

Earlier, the Accountant General of the Federation told the Committee that the IPPIS saved the nation N60 billion in 2017, N103 billion in 2018 and N80 billion in 2019 with the Military and paramilitary organization already captured adding that only the universities and polytechnics are resisting coming on board.

Mr. Idriss told the committee that it is presently constructing Federal Pay Offices in Jos, Kano, Enugu and Uyo to avoid paying huge sums for rented offices at an average cost of N130million stressing that more of such offices will be constructed in states where there is none as soon as land and funds are available.