FG sets deadline for civil servants’ screening

Federal civil servants are reminded to verify their identities on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) portal by July 31, 2024. Failure to do so may result in stopped salaries and sanctions, as part of efforts to eliminate ghost worker.

There has been a surge in activity at Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) offices across the country, as civil servants scramble to obtain their Taxpayer Identification Number.

Part of the requirement for verification is the TIN alongside the IPPIS number and salary account number.

President Bola Tinubu had directed that all civil servants who are drawing salaries from the government after relocating abroad should be made to refund the money.

The President also directed that the culprits’ supervisors and department heads be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud while they were in charge.

“During my recent visit to South Africa, I kept abreast of the week’s activities.

“I was particularly struck by the revelations shared by the Head of the Civil Service, regarding employees who had relocated abroad while drawing salaries without formally resigning.

“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.

“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,” Tinubu had said.

A senior civil servant, who confided in our correspondent in Abuja over the weekend, noted that civil servants were struggling to meet the July 31 deadline for verification.

“The deadline for the verification is July 31, so we have tons of civil servants in Ilorin here who are trying to ensure that they register before the deadline. In fact, I have just been able to get my TIN after several attempts to get it online failed.”

Another civil servant said, “Yes, the deadline is July 31,”

When asked if civil servants were struggling to get their verification done, he said, “Of course, in previous years, those who failed had their salaries stopped, no one wants to risk anything.”

As a follow-up to the President’s directive, the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation has launched an online portal for the verification of civil servants.