Accountant General Of The Federation Hinges On Effective Accounting System

CALABAR, June 10, (THEWILL) - Alhaji Ibrahim H. Dan Kwambo the Accountant General of the Federation has implored Stakeholders and functional officers of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information Systems (IPPIS) to avail themselves of the opportunity by training and applying the knowledge to the interest of the country.

Speaking while declaring open a two week training for Information Technology (IT) role players in 16 IPPIS Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAS) of Federal Government in Calabar, Dankwambo, who was represented by Mr. Oludare Oshibote, Director, Consolidated Account called on them to consider training as a national service and should regard themselves as instruments of change and future ambassadors of IPPIS.

According to Dankwambo, the concept of IPPIS is based on government’s Public Sector Reforms Initiative Component of GIFMIS and it is meant to focus mainly at ensuring effectiveness and efficiency in storage of personnel records and administration of monthly payroll, saying that having completed Pilot and Phase 1, Civil Servants in 16 Federal MDA’s numbering over 55,000 are now on IPPIS payroll as at May, 2010.

Dankwambo explained that workers on IPPIS now collect salaries on or before the 20th of each month wherever they are located in the country on line, adding that the system has the capacity to ensure payment of salaries at any day of the month as well as generate payment in respect of all third party beneficiaries.

He remarked that as progress was being made, it was realized, that the role of IT in IPPIS needed to be further enhanced and clarified for the benefit of all and it therefore became necessary to develop the capacity of the role players considering the fact that a good number of MDA’s came on board in 2009 and more are expected to join the stream in 2010.

Hon John Owan-Enoh, Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Finance in a goodwill address, said he was happy that a training of that nature was taking place in Calabar as it provided a conducive environment devoid of distractions that may impede their ability to learn properly because they play a great role in budgeting and ensure payroll system and managing personnel is quite effective.

Owan Enoh said whenever there is a check or personnel auditing money is left for government and as such he would want to know how much federal government realizes from the exercise when the 2011 budget proposal is presented to the National Assembly, hoping that that Cross River keys into the programme while enjoining the participants to apply what learnt for their office to benefit fully

The member representing Obubra/Etung Federal Constituency, Cross River in the House of Representatives, noted that Nigeria can become an anticorruption society when there is a system that stops people from touching cash.

Mr. Henry Ojogu Cross River State Accountant General noted that though the State is facing some challenges despite its low financial resources, it is one of the first states to key into seven modules and oracle network as it joined oracle finance about three years ago, adding that the pay roll in the State has done very well but will continue to improve through learning.

Ojogu disclosed that the state had commenced oracle based payroll system and a centralized payroll system and had even started the E-Payroll System before it was introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) while salaries can now be received on-line, saying that a consultant has be contracted to harmonize the civil service operations between the Head of Service and the Accountant General as the state aims to achieve accuracy and accountability.

Mrs. Falima Mede, Director Finance and Account in a welcome address, said the training was at the instance of Hon John Owan-Enoh to look into the personnel cost of the Federal Government, adding that there was need for the workshop because the participants prepare salaries and pay into the accounts of the civil servants, conduct budget checks to see if it materializes.

Mede disclosed that IPPIS was introduced in April, 2007 and it has enabled civil servants to collect their salaries as at when due and it will become nation wide in October.