The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) on Sunday explained that the delay in the payment of the Nigerian Armed Forces’ salaries was due to the unexpected lockdown in the country accompanied by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nigerian soldiers had become agitated over the delay in payment of April salaries. In an open letter to the Chief of Army Staff, dated 7th May, they lamented that the situation has brought untold hardship to them because the salary is their only reliable source of income for the service personnel.
OAGF however disclosed that the Federal Government has completed the payment of the April 2020 salaries of the Armed Forces personnel in the country.
The office in a statement signed by Henshaw Ogubike, Director (Information, Press and Public Relations), said that the lockdown led to late submission of variations by the Agencies concerned and the need to accommodate their inputs in the April payroll accordingly.
“The Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) Department in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation confirmed that as at Friday 8th April, 2020, the Armed Forces personnel had been paid,” the statement read.
According to the statement, the explanation became necessary in view of a report which alleged that the April 2020 salaries of military and paramilitary personnel was delayed as a result of incapability and inexperience of the operators of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
It warned that the report has the potency to incite the Armed Forces and the general public against the operations of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The office noted that officials of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) had given assurance that the salaries would be paid between 4th and 8th April, 2020, which was promptly carried out.
“Suffice it to state that staff of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) are competent professionals who have demonstrated the will and capacity to get the job done in line with the presidential directives, despite distractions and opposition from some quarters whose objective is to sabotage the government policy that has saved the nation over N361 billion,” the statement said.
