A Chartered Accountant and audit specialist, Dr. Sunday Omojuyigbe, has linked the continued appearance of ghost workers on government payrolls to weaknesses in the regular review and monitoring of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
Omojuyigbe made the submission while appearing on the Nigerian Television Authority’s (NTA) flagship programme, Good Morning Nigeria, where he examined the challenges surrounding payroll management and audit controls in the public sector.
According to the audit expert, the failure to subject the system and its audit processes to consistent reviews could be creating loopholes that allow irregularities, including the presence of fictitious workers, to persist.
He stressed the importance of continuous monitoring and periodic evaluation of the processes supporting IPPIS, noting that audit systems must evolve alongside emerging challenges and changing administrative realities.
Omojuyigbe’s comments come amid renewed concerns over the effectiveness of government payroll systems and efforts to eliminate leakages arising from fraudulent or inaccurate personnel records.
He maintained that regular audits, stronger monitoring mechanisms and timely updates to existing processes would be critical to strengthening payroll integrity and ensuring that public funds are paid only to legitimate government employees.
The audit expert’s full analysis was featured during the programme, where he provided further insight into the weaknesses and possible reforms needed to improve the effectiveness of government payroll management.
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