Labour

IPPIS verification: Labour calls for decentralisation of staff exercise

The Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) has called on the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHSF) to decentralise the ongoing Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) staff verification exercise to avoid the hardship faced by workers coming to Abuja.

According to a letter addressed to the OHSF jointly signed by its national chairman, Comrade Benjamin Anthony and national secretary, Comrade Bomoi Mohammed, JPSNC said workers from Bauchi and Borno died on their way to Abuja for the exercise.

The letter further lamented the chaotic scene at the venue of the exercise housing over 17,600 public servants from 36 states, adding that the process adopted has no human face.

The letter read, “It is worrisome observing the gory scene depicted by drafting of over 17,600 federal public servants to converge on Abuja for verification after declaring them ghost workers by the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and stopping their salaries with effect from September 2023.

“The serious concern of the national leadership of Joint Public Service Negotiating Council is the process adopted which has no human face and very nauseating.

“It is very saddening to state that in the process of workers coming from their various destinations, the untoward occurred. For instance, information had it that some workers from Bauchi and Borno States died on their way to Abuja for the exercise, two workers collapsed in the process but were eventually rescued while a pregnant woman lost her pregnancy and 70 people were injured due to pressures and over crowdedness and stampede.”

JPSNC also disclosed that on a visit to the Public Service institute of Nigeria (PSIN), venue of the verification exercise, it was discovered that the sanitary facilities have been overstretched, as the venue was littered with human waste.

The council noted that the workers have been turned to refugees as majority of them do not have resources to cater for habitable place to stay for the duration of the verification exercise.

The letter read, “It is on the aforesaid that the National leadership of JPSNC is calling on the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to address this issue with human face, to prevent further deaths and disasters of innocent federal workers.

“It is axiomatic that he who calls for equity must come with clean hand. It is unfair for the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation that ordered the stoppage of payment of salaries of the affected workers and thereafter directed payment of salaries of same categories of workers who are working in the Office of Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

“The exercise should be urgently decentralised by holding the exercise at their respective state capitals to avoid further casualties.

“The Head of Civil Service of the Federation should mandate the Accountant General of the Federation to begin the payment of October 2023 salaries of these workers which was hitherto stopped alongside with the verification exercise to mitigate their sufferings.

“JPSNC condemns the constitution of the committee for the exercise which excluded labour from the exercise which is a contravention of ILO convention that stipulates the tripartite arrangements on matters that affect workers generally. It is unfortunate that the non-compliance with Human Rights Charters within the purview of industrial relations concepts has rendered the exercise dehumanising and notoriously wicked.

“The Office of the Head of Civil Service should urgently provide care and first aid for the 36 states including FCT due to the magnitude of number of workers involved in the exercise.”

READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE