AN EXAMINATION OF INTEGRATED PERSONNEL AND PAYROLL INFORMATION SYSTEM IN THE NIGERIAN CIVIL SERVICE.
ABSTRACT
This research work tends to examine the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) in the Nigerian civil service. This is a program introduced by the Federal Government supported by the World Bank as one of the measures of Public Service Reform. Prior to the introduction of this scheme Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) do receive their recurrent costs on monthly basis as subvention. The above arrangement gave room for the MDA’s to disburse money sent to them whenever and however it pleases them. This therefore according to records led to financial misconduct in the Nigerian civil service. The huge amount spent on recurrent expenditure, if not monitored and cut down through appropriate government policy and reform program, Nigeria may wake up one day to see that Government revenue is spent just in paying salaries at the detriment of competing needs. There is need for Nigerian Government to provide accurate and correct number of civil servants under her care and to an extent minimize budget estimate. The researcher tried to answer some questions on the reason why Government set up the IPPIS scheme. The research is also poised to determining the extent to which the Government is prepared towards actualizing of the IPPIS objectives. The research tried to examine how safe and reliable the civil servants Personnel records are with IPPIS program and the extent to which the program will help Government in planning and budgeting.
In this research survey method was used, in this case the researcher sourced data from both primary and secondary sources. Questionnaire and Interview methods were used extensively.
It was found out from the research that Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPIS) is generally one of the offshoots of the civil service reform program to ensure transparency and accountability in the Nigerian civil service. However, Government is not fully technologically prepared for the program and there are some other challenges that are facing the program, they are both human and material. IPPIS if implemented properly and honestly will minimize, if not eliminate fraud in the civil service of Nigeria, and provide other benefits. This research work is poised to examine IPPIS program in Nigeria, finding out the possible challenges that are likely to be encountered in the course of implementation of the program also give some suggestions.