In a decisive move to eliminate ghost workers from the federal payroll, the Nigerian government has set a February 17, 2025, deadline for civil servants to complete their identity verification on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). Non-compliance could lead to salary suspension and other sanctions, according to a memo issued by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).
The directive, which was sighted by our correspondent on Saturday, emphasizes the importance of the verification process, requiring all federal workers to update their records using their Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), IPPIS number, and salary account details.
The memo references a Treasury Circular dated June 27, 2024, which originally mandated the payroll validation. However, due to an extension granted on August 16, 2024, civil servants now have until midnight of February 17, 2025, to complete the process.
Part of the memo reads:
“Following the Treasury Circular with Ref. No. TRY/A6&B6/2024-OAGF/CAD/026/Vol. V/910 dated June 27, 2024, and the subsequent extension granted on August 16, 2024, the AGF has approved an additional one-week extension (February 10–17, 2025) for OAF-IPPIS Payroll Validation. The portal will be accessible via the OAGF website (www.oagf.gov.ng) for employees who were unable to complete their validation within the previous deadline.”
It further warns that failure to comply could result in serious consequences, including removal from the payroll:
“All employees concerned must conclude their verification before midnight on Monday, February 17, 2025. Officers who fail to do so risk suspension from the payroll.”
To ensure compliance, the government has directed Accounting Officers, Directors, Heads of Finance & Accounts, and Internal Audit Units across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to widely circulate the circular and enforce adherence.
This crackdown aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s directive in 2024, which mandated civil servants drawing salaries from Nigeria while residing abroad to refund the payments. The President also ordered that supervisors and department heads who facilitated such fraud be held accountable and punished.
With the February 17 deadline looming, civil servants are reportedly scrambling to generate their TINs and complete the verification process, fearing the potential consequences of non-compliance.
The coming weeks will determine the effectiveness of this policy in curbing payroll fraud and ensuring transparency in the federal workforce.
PIONEER NEWS 