Business
AGF Lists Gains Of IPPIS … As FG Saves N120bn
The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Jonah Otunla, says the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) has saved the country more than N120 billion in the last six years.
Otunla disclosed this last Tuesday in Abuja when he received a delegation from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) on a peer review of activities of AGF office.
The accountant general said the N120 billion was the money saved by paying MDAs staff directly through IPPIS instead of releasing the funds to the MDAs for the payment.
IPPIS, a public financial management reform programme that streamlines payroll and personnel processes in MDAs has so far helped to ensure confidence in payroll cost.
It has also made prompt deductions and remittances to all third party funds such as PFAs, NHIS, NHF and FIRS a reality.
“From April 2007 when the scheme commenced to date, 246 MDAs were enrolled with a total number of 250, 000 staff, and over N120 billion cumulatively has been saved,’’ he said.
Otunla said the scheme had also saved government from paying nonexistent staff in MDAs, adding that application of public funds to non-official purposes had also been reduced.
He said Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), Treasury Single Account (TSA) and International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) were also being adopted by Government to ensure accountability.
GIFMIS system, among others functions, traces financial transactions and monitors expenditures and receipts in the MDAs.
TSA has the objective to ensure cash availability for MDAs as at when required and remove delays in budget execution arising from artificial cash shortages.
IPSAS refers to a set of accounting standards that regulate the preparation of financial statements around the world.
He said that to achieve maximum management of public funds, all MDAs should be enrolled fully into the GIFMIS and IPPIS portal by December.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bukar Aji, said he was impressed with the level of implementation of public management reforms by the OAGF.
Aji, who was represented by Dr Ezekiel Oyemomi, Permanent Secretary, Career Management, OHCSF, said the peer review was aimed at providing internal assessments on the working of MDAs in the country.
He noted that the peer review mechanism “ brings about an environment for interaction and to check productivity and also to see how far the mandate of a particular MDA is being carried out’’.
Stakeholders are expected to converge in Lagos today to take a look at the Nigeria’s preparedness to maximize the gains of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The Tide learnt that stakeholders will be converging at the instance of a popular online newspaper, Primetime Reporters, to assess the progress made so far by the Federal Government through the National Action Committee on AfCFTA agreement.
The event which is the Third Annual Lecture and Awards of the online medium has as its theme: “Assessing Nigeria’s Preparedness to Maximize the Gains of AfCFTA.”
The event will also witness conferment of awards on eight eminent Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in various fields of human endeavours.
The Managing Director/Editor-In-Chief of Primetime Reporters, Mr. Saint Augustine Nwadinamuo, made this known in a statement made available to The Tide in Lagos on Monday.
According to him, the event will hold at the National Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos beginning from 10.00am.
Nwadinamuo said that the event would be chaired by a renowned legal practitioner, Barr. Osuala Emmanuel Nwagbara of the Maritime and Commercial Law Partners, Lagos, while the Director General, Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Muda Yusuf, would be the lead paper presenter.
By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has arrested a leader of a deadly 419 syndicate, Abayomi Kamaldeen Alaka (a.k.a Awise) over an alleged attempt to swindle an innocent Nigerian of N250 million.
The Tide learnt that the syndicate operates from a shrine at Ashipa Town, near Abeokuta, Ogun State.
According to a statement made available to The Tide in Lagos on Sunday, by the EFCC, Awise’s arrest followed a petition by his victim, Juliet Bright who lost N250m to the fraudster after she was tricked to provide money for sacrifices and invocations to heal her of an ailment.
The statement said Bright was introduced to Alaka by one Akinola Bukola Augustina (a.ka. Iya Osun) whom she met on Facebook in the course of her search for solutions to her health challenge.
What drew her to Augustina was the latter’s post under the name, Osunbukola Olamitutu Spriritual Healing Centre.
Once Bright contacted Augustina, the latter promised to heal her if she could pay N16 million.
The victim paid the money through an Access Bank account belonging to one Mohammed Sani, who later turned out to be a Bureau De Change Operator.
After paying the money without receiving healing, Augustina transferred the victim to other members of the syndicate, notably Awise.
Bright revealed that she met Awise at his shrine in Ashipa Town and was hypnotized and subsequently transferred various sum through bank accounts and in cash to the suspect and his syndicate members, until she lost N250 million to them.
Despite all the monies collected from her, her health conditions has never improved.
By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
An expert in Quarantine Agriculture, Dr Vincent Ozuru, has advised Nigerian farmers to give more attention to growing plants produce that could be exported.
He said that plant like the hibiscus, popularly known as Zobo is on high demand in some countries around the world, today.
Ozuru who gave the advice while speaking to aviation correspondents at Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, noted that some plants produce, particularly hibiscus, had yielded huge revenue to the Federal Government through export.
According to him, Nigeria exported about 1,983 containers of hibiscus to Mexico alone in 2017 and earned $35 million within nine months of that year.
The agricultural quarantine expert explained that the export of the plant had a setback as a result of storage pest discovered by the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service in some consignments.
“The issue has now been taken care of and the export is resuming again, and all matters have been resolved with the stakeholders across the value chain.
“Mexico is the largest importer of Nigerian hibiscus, and our farmers should brace up to the challenge.
“The good news is that Nigeria has a vast growing belt in hibiscus, and the harvest is available all year round.
“We need to take advantage of this opportunity to earn foreign exchange for ourselves and for the country at large, even with the commitment of the present administration to diversify the economy”, he said.
Ozuru called on Nigerian farmers to show more commitment to the growing of export produce and also endeavor to get ready information on it in order to increase their income.
By: Corlins Walter
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