A worker in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) has been suspended over alleged involvement in a fraud relating to a breach of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) third party payment protocol at an unnamed Institute outside Abuja.
The OAGF confirmed the suspension of the staff in its response to media enquiries concerning allegations of “salary padding” on the IPPIS involving some unspecified number of Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA).
Although the Office denied knowledge of any evidence about the allegation, it however said it was aware of reported breach of the IPPIS third party payment protocol at the Institute.
“The incident has since been reported to, and is being investigated by relevant anti-corruption, security and regulatory agencies,” the director, Press & Public Relations in the OAGF, Bawa Mokwa, said on Monday.
Mokwa said the suspected staff has since been suspended from office to allow for a thorough investigation.
He assured that all necessary steps were being taken to strengthen the controls around the IPPIS payment platform, while an independent forensic audit of the entire payroll system was being considered to ascertain if the fraud was an isolated case or widespread incidence.
