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FG Slows Down Implementation Of IPPIS

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The Federal Government has “slowed down’’ on the implementation of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) because of intermittent internet connectivity problems.

Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Jonah Otunla, made this known on Tuesday in Abuja during an oversight visit to his office, the Treasury House, by members of the House Committee on Finance.

The IPPIS is the platform upon which most federal civil servants are paid their salaries.

Otunla told the visiting lawmakers that lately, the system had encountered some difficulty resulting in late payment of salaries of workers in the public service.

He also attributed the delay in payment of salaries to late disbursements of allocations to the three tiers of government by the monthly Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting.

The accountant-general said that his office had sought the assistance of Galaxy Backbone, a Federal Government-owned ICT agency, to resolve the connectivity problem.

“We have been talking with the various agencies of government that are involved in this and we are sure that very soon we will overcome the connectivity problem.

“Because of this connectivity problem, we have decided to slow down the implementation, particularly of our IPPIS.

“The press is awash with barrages of complaints of late payment of salaries, particularly this month.

“The main factor accountable for this delay, apart from the awkward shifting of the FAAC meetings, we have some system problems that are not too strange to a system that is just taking off.’’

Reports say that two indigenous ICT firms are handling the project namely the Grand Central Ltd., which is the project manager while the solution vendor is Soft Alliance and Resources Ltd.

We gathered that since its first roll-out in October 2006 more than 100,000 public workers have been covered by IPPIS in 94 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Expressing concern on the implementation of the IPPIS, Rep. Abdulmumin Jibrin, Chairman, House Committee on Finance, urged the accountant-general’s office to give it priority attention.

“Mr Accountant-General, we will expect that on the issue of IPPIS, you should give more emphasis to ensure that it is well managed and implemented,’’ he said.

He said the office should also ensure timely disbursement of capital expenditure within the confines of the provisions of the law.

The legislator also stressed the need for the AGF’s office to share constant information with the House committee.

“Sometimes you make the job of the parliament much easier for us when agencies give us updates of what they do on monthly or quarterly basis voluntarily.

“At the end of the day we might make an input in it or we might need such information to help us, help you and help the country.’’

Jibrin solicited the support of the accountant-general in training of legislators in the committee on financial matters.

He described financial matters as quite sensitive and highlighted that one of the biggest challenges facing the country was generating enough revenue to fund the deficit in this year’s budget.

“In that regard a lot of knowledge is required; a lot of knowhow is required; a lot of capacity-building is required.

“And so, what we are saying is this: in the spirit of the exchange and cooperation that exists between us and the fantastic relationship you have built in the last 11 months between this office and the Committee on Finance, whenever such capacity building comes up you can extend that also to the House.

“So that we can build our capacity at the same pace, so we can be on the same page on all the issues that we need to legislate on or work on for the betterment of this country.’’

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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