By Adadainfo
Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd) has disclosed that the federal government had uncovered about 54,000 fraudulent payroll entries in its Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
The discovery came from whistle-blowers.
Monguno gave this figure at the National Policy Dialogue on Corruption and Security organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Friday in Abuja.
Monguno attributed the discovery to the expansion of the coverage of IPPIS against stiff opposition from some quarters, and linked the deployment of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) to validate the government’s stance on the payment platform to the detection, saying the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) in more than 90 per cent of all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the government had resulted in the consolidation of more than 70,000 bank accounts previously spread across deposit money banks in the country, leading to the monthly, saving of about N4 billion in bank charges.
Monguno said corruption had hindered government’s ability to offer better life for its citizens and this has affected the country negatively.
At the event convened to discuss the current security challenges and how corruption is fueling the problems in the country, the ICPC and other anti-corruption stakeholders called for the review of public procurement policies to reduce corrupt practices in the country.
Speaking at the event, the ICPC chairman, Bolaji Owasanoye, said the commission’s research and findings showed that public sector corruption, directly and indirectly, enables insecurity and can sometimes complement it.
