IPPIS registers 452 MDAs staff on system —Official

The Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) said on Wednesday that it had registered 452 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) emoluments payroll on its system or data.

Hajiya Asama’u Mustapha, Head Third Party of IPPIS, said this at a one-day Forum held by ARM Pensions for its Pension Desk Officers (PDOs) in Abuja.

According to her, IPPIS was initiated in 2006 but started operation in April 2007.

Mustapha said before the advent of IPPIS, accurate information on civil servants was not possible, and that IPPIS made it possible.

She advised employers to train and guide their employees properly on how to provide accurate information to IPPIS.

She also called for a collaboration between employers and Pension Fund Administrators.

Mustapha advised the National Pension Commission (PENCOM) to conduct biometric data of all employees in Nigeria in order to reduce some challenges being witnessed on data information.

She said refusal by some MDAs to supply required information of its employees and the supply of incorrect PIN Numbers to the organisation were some of the challenges facing the IPPIS.

She added that submission of incorrect data by the employers often led to non crediting of some employees accounts by the organisation.

Earlier, Wale Odutola, the Managing Director of ARM Pensions, said that PDOs played a vital role in Pension Fund Administration (PFAs) in Nigeria.

Odutola, represented by Mrs Enata George, added that critical knowledge gap existed between the PDOs on understanding their roles and expectations from the operators of pension scheme and PENCOM.

He stressed that this was due to lack of adequate and updated knowledge about the working of Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), noting that this had led to wrong choices of PFAs by contributors.

Odutola also explained that lack of adequate and updated knowledge by PDOs led to contributors making multiple registrations, inconsistent or illegible schedules which delayed remittance of contributions.

He said that over 70 per cent of public sector Retirement Saving Account (RSA) holders under the new pension scheme were directly or indirectly influenced at one point or the other by PDOs.

Tunji Olabode, Regional Manager, ARM Pensions, expressed happiness over the forum, adding that this was the second time such event was happening in Abuja.

According to Olabode, the forum provides avenue for ARM Pensions and their PDOs to brainstorm and find solutions to their common challenges.