The 371,800 figure often
quoted as the number of members of the Nigeria Police Force in the country
included no fewer than 80,115 ‘ghost officers’, data obtained from the Office
of the Accountant-General of the Federation by PREMIUM TIMES have uncovered.
The data revealed that
following the full integration of payrolls of the country’s 42 police commands
and formations into the federal government Integrated Payroll and Personnel
Information System (IPPIS) last February, staff count stood at only 291,685,
with gross salary of about N22.3 million.
The extra number of
officers, which the top hierarchy of the police failed to account for, have for
several years been drawing billions in salaries and other benefits.
At the meeting of the
Federal Executive Council in Abuja last Wednesday, the Minister of Finance,
Kemi Adeosun, presented an updated report on the implementation of the IPPIS.
The minister confirmed that
511 ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) have been captured under the
system, with staff count of about 607,843.
Of this number, the
minister said, 469 MDAs, with staff count of 316,158, and gross salary of
N43.98 billion, were from MDAs whose payrolls have been captured under the
IPPIS as at March 20.
Mrs Adeosun said this did
not cover staff count of 291,685 from the 42 police commands and formations
across the country captured on IPPIS platform as at February which accounted
for a gross pay of over N22.3 billion.
In addition, she said staff
count of para-military agencies, namely Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria
Prison Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps under the IPPS to
date stood at about 100,822, with a trial payroll cost of over N11.5 billion
for the corresponding period.
The figures, which the
minister said have been sent for review and update against the April 2018
payroll involved a staff count almost the size of the extra ghost officers
uncovered in the police payroll.
The minister said
government saved over N68 billion on personnel cost though the full deployment
of the IPPS in the payrolls of MDAs in spite of increase in personnel,
including the recent employment of fresh 10,000 officers by the Nigerian
Police.
Minister of Finance, Kemi
Adeosun
Until last February, the
police authorities have always resisted government’s proposal to bring its
payroll under IPPIS, one of the public finance reform policies for personnel
management and payroll system in support of manpower planning and budgeting.
Early last month, there
were simultaneous protests in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and Port
Harcourt to kick against attempts to do this.
The protesters had argued
that the proposed integration of the police into the IPPIS system by government
would work against the smooth operations of the Force, as the arrangement would
delay the prompt payment of salaries of officers every month.
But, government insisted on
going ahead with its phased deployment of the scheme in all MDAs, which had the
police, para-military agencies, military and federal tertiary institutions
covered under Phase 3.
Although the minister did
not say how much government saved as a result of the removal of the over 80,000
additional names on the police payroll at the completion of the integration
process in February, she however confirmed aggregate savings in personnel costs
for all MDAs since 2007 was about N288 billion.
She said with the
completion of the exercise, the police payroll at the moment was not only
efficient and accurate, police officers across the country now receive their
salaries promptly on or before 20th of every month. PREMIUM TIMES is yet to
confirm the minister’s assertions.
Prior to being brought
under the IPPIS platform, PREMIUM TIMES learnt officers’ have been complaining
of unapproved deductions from their monthly pay, apart from the official tax
obligations they have to bear along with contributions to other benefit
schemes.
PREMIUM TIMES was not able
to independently confirm with the police authorities what the latest details
were of their payrolls since being brought on the IPPIS platform.
Police officers spoken with
refused to comment as they referred the reporter to the Inspector-General of
Police, who they said was the only official authorised to speak on such
“sensitive issues.”
When contacted, police
spokesperson Jimoh Moshood did not return calls or reply text messages sent to
him.
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