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Acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, disclosed that involvement of the commission in ‘arresting’ ghost workers in the civil service led to the redemption of over N4.5 billion monthly.
Magu, while delivering a lecture on ‘Corruption and Anti-corruption Strategies in Nigeria: Way Forward’ at the Course 28 Study Programme on National Defence and Security, singled out the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) of salary paid by the Federal Government for praise.
He said the IPPIS was saving the government N4.5 billion monthly, which would have gone to ghost workers.
The programme themed ‘Economic Diversification and National Development’ was held at the National Defence College (NDC), Abuja.
“The EFCC has been engaged in eradicating ghost workers from the Federal Government’s payroll, which has resulted in saving as much as N4.5 billion monthly,’ Magu stated, describing the Bank Verification Number (BVN) as an effective investigative tool.
“It has curtailed the opening of fake bank accounts by fraudulent individuals,” he added.
The EFCC boss, who regretted the effect of corruption in the country, noted that “every paralysis we have suffered in our economy and polity was caused by corruption. The volatilities and vulnerabilities in our security architecture are results of corrupt practices of several decades.”
According to him, since Independence in 1960, Nigeria has lost unimaginable number of lives to road accidents, diseases, hunger, communal conflicts, kidnapping, armed robbery, terrorism and a number of other ills that owe direct or indirect percentage to corruption.
He reiterated that the only gateway to development was through fighting corruption.
“If Nigeria breaks away from corrupt practices in government businesses and in the private sector, we would transform into a model state overnight,” he enthused, adding that corruption is like rainfall that touches everybody.
The Commandant, NDC, Rear Admiral Mackson Kadiri, in his vote of thanks, noted that “what will keep all of us at peace beyond all of these is if we key into the corruption fight.”
He observed the need for proper utilisation of funds saying, “We all have a role to play to ensure that monies meant for the public good are judiciously utilised.”