The Federal civil servants have until 31 July 2024, to verify their identities on the portal of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) amidst the planned stoppage of salaries and sanctions for ghost workers.
It was gathered that civil servants have been rushing to generate their Taxpayers Identification Number (TIN) at the Federal Inland Revenue Services offices nationwide.
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”, President Tinubu had said.
A senior civil servant, who spoke to The PUNCH in Abuja over the weekend, noted that civil servants were struggling to meet the 31 July deadline for verification.
“The deadline for the verification is 31 July, 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 31 July”.
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”.
Earlier, following the President’s directive, the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation had unveiled a portal for civil servants’ verification.
