Ghost workers alert: Head of Service of the Federation suspends salaries of 631 workers

The Office of Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) has suspended salaries of no fewer than 631 workers over suspicion of being ghost workers.

In a circular dated February 15, 2022, marked HCSF/CSO/HRM/1137/Vol. 1/T6/31and addressed to all permanent secretaries, Accountant General of the Federation, and Auditor General of the Federation, OHCSF said the suspension of salaries was due to the failure of the affected officers to update their records online with the Integrated Personal and Payroll Information System (IPPS) platform.

The circular, entitled “Suspension of Salaries of Suspected Ghost Workers in Core Ministries, Departments and Agencies from Integrated Personal and Payroll Information System (IPPS) Platform”, was signed by Dr Marcus O. Ogunbiyi, Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office for Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

The circular recalled that OHCSF had used various media to draw attention of the affected public servants across the country to the need to update their records with IPPS but to no avail, hence the suspension of their salaries.

The office said: “In addition, the office carried out sensitisation and publicity on both print and audio media to further draw the attention of all public servants to this very important exercise” before salaries suspension option was taken.

The office said the verification exercise was meant to facilitate the identification of the ghost workers to curtail avoidable financial excesses in personnel cost while also ensuring credible staff members’ records.

The office disclosed that the verification portal was opened for the first exercise from April 2017 to May 2018 while it was repeated between November 2019 and March 2020.

“However, despite all the publicity and circular issued to MDAs and published on the website of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, some employees in the core MDAs did not comply with the directive. This category of employees is suspected to be ghost workers.

“In view of this, the office commenced phased suspension of the concerned officers’ salaries in batches with effect from June 2021, 631 civil servants have so far been suspended in phases one and two.

“Following the suspension, genuine officers who presented themselves and their documents to the OHCSF were verified, cleared and salaries have been restored.

“In confirmation of the suspension, the salaries of 243 officers attached will be suspended on IPPS platform immediately. Officers in the list are therefore advised to appear in person to the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation between 11th and 15th April with credentials and other relevant documents to confirm that they were duly employed by the Federal Civil Service Commission,” the office added.