The House of Representatives has taken a decisive step towards investigating allegations of personnel recruitment mismanagement, employment racketeering, and mismanagement of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) by various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
The resolution to initiate the investigation was made following the adoption of a motion presented by Hon. Oluwole Oke during yesterday’s plenary session. Hon. Oke, a former chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, highlighted the existence of fraudulent practices within the system, which have facilitated the recruitment of ghost workers, consequently impacting the government’s finances.
In his motion, Hon. Oke emphasized the significant role played by the federal government and its various institutions in employment generation, poverty reduction, and social intervention programmes. He stressed the importance of managing the recruitment and payment processes for civil servants and public officers, as they contribute to the stability and development of society.
However, he expressed concern about the endemic corruption that has plagued the recruitment and employment procedures in the civil service. Advertisements for job vacancies have become scarce, and even when published, positions are often already allocated to the highest bidders. This practice disregards the qualifications and abilities of applicants, jeopardizing the performance of the Nigerian public service.
Hon. Oke further noted that Nigeria’s public service, which was once regarded as one of the best in the world with a high level of professionalism, has experienced a decline in service delivery. This decline can be attributed to the fraudulent, abusive, and corrupt practices that have infiltrated the recruitment process.
In response to the motion, the House resolved to establish an ad-hoc committee that will be tasked with conducting a thorough investigation into the matter. The committee’s mandate will be to uncover the extent of mismanagement and irregularities in personnel recruitment and employment practices within the MDAs.
