ICPC trails fed Directors behind fake jobs for 70,000 people
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Directors and Assistant Directors who collude with others in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to milk the treasury through fake employment are being trailed for prosecution by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) Director General Dansuki Arabi disclosed last week that no fewer than 70,000 workers with fake employment papers have been discovered and removed.
They were fished out through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
Arabi said N220 billion was saved by removing the 70,000 ghost workers from the payroll of MDAs and the IPPIS made it possible to know that the current federal civil workforce is 720,000.
“There is a lot of rot in the Federal Civil Service, especially at the top levels. Before now, the MDAs had the autonomy to recruit.
“Sadly, some abused this process. Some Assistant Directors forge and issue fake employment letters to desperate job seekers,” a source in the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) disclosed.
“The number of fake employment letters is overwhelming with some MDAs being over staffed.
“For some time now, we have not posted anyone to the Ministry of Environment. But they keep calling us that the number of workers posted to their ministry is overwhelming.
“After investigating, we could not verify most employment and postings. Some people in the service are experts in forging signatures of Directors and issuing fake employment and promotion letters.
“I can imagine how much they realise monthly from ghost workers. They exploit the desperation of some Nigerians in search of job. The money they make from ghost workers, issuing fake employment and promotion letters is simply unimaginable.”
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Names of culprits sent to ICPC
The source, who spoke to The Nation, expressed optimism that fake employment and ghost workers would be reduced through the ongoing civil service reform, as the
FCSC now has the sole mandate to recruit for all MDAs.
“It is in view of this corruption that the IPPIS verification exercise was introduced,” he added.
“The exercise is very thorough and everyone must go through it. It will get to the length and breadth of this country. Even those working outside the shores of this country are going through it.
“We have already discovered many whose employment cannot be verified. I am sure that more than 70,000 ghost workers will be uncovered before the end of this exercise.
“We have already sent some names to the ICPC for further questioning and prosecution. Very soon we are going to publish the names of those involved to serve as a deterrent to others.”