Beyond 2020: OAGF assures Implementation of FG’ Public Reform

The Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris FCNA has posited that his Office is central to the implementation of the Federal Government public financial management reforms initiatives aimed at positioning Nigeria economy among the best by the year 2020 and beyond.

He stated this when the Senate Committee on ICT led by its Chairman, Senator Yakubu Oseni paid an oversight visit to the Treasury House.

According to Ahmed in accordance with Pillar 3 of the Bureau of Public Service Reform (BPSR), the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation has keyed into several initiatives such as Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System (IPPIS), Treasury Single Account (TSA), Audit Modernization, Open Treasury Portal and Revenue and Investment Monitoring Dashboard, adding that these reforms are technology-based information and communication, ICT applications and content. Notably among these are GIFMIS, IPPIS, TSA AND Open Treasury Portal which are web-based.

“To implement the TSA on the application is a huge task that must be driven by experts because of the online, real time, budget based, and web based, also, the Office is manned by more than 99% ICT compliance staff because what we do is ICT related, he said”.

According to him “Nigeria has adopted International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS)- which is the preparation of public financial management worldwide as well as National Chart of Account (NCoA) that gives direction on account classification accordingly. The Office has a clear mandate on what should be published weekly, monthly and on annual basis in order to limit Federal Government spending hence, MDA’s are expected to publish their spending on the Open Treasury Portal with full details of beneficiaries”.

Ahmed said that IPPIS has Federal Government employees of 793,580 salary accounts; Ministries on IPPIS platform-602, Navy-23,863, Air Force-19,656, Army-116,117, Police-293,571, Immigration-24,663, Civil Defence-55,611 and Nigeria Correctional Service-30,133, adding that 63% of ASUU members have also been captured.

AGF reiterated that through the assistance of National Security Adviser (NSA), Galaxy Backbone (GBB), and National Information and Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the ICT infrastructure have been protected and fortified from cyber hackers, also Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), Petroleum Training Development Fund (PTDF), and Solution providers like Remitta and SystemSpec have assisted in terms of training of staff in ICT.

Speaking earlier, The Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT, Senator Yakubu Oseni stated that the visit is to carry out fact findings on agencies of the FG on general institutional framework and specific matters enshrined in Section 88 and 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.

He posited that the Senate Committee on ICT was created in pursuant to the need to mobilise Nigerians to meet up with global practices in ICT and cybercrime.

According to him” the advancement of ICT has accelerated the pace of globalization and has completely impacted on life and work as well as the pivot for transformation of economies today”.

“It is pertinent to note, seriously too, that criminal elements around the world have chosen to turn ICT    revolution into a nightmare. The gains of digital technology are being dampened by rapid evolution of cybersecurity threat landscape, with increased attacks in both sophistication and severity.

“The country still lags behind in infrastructure sophistication, data management and digital security and knowhow, which are critical to the development agenda.” Senator Oseni stated.

He informed the Office of the forthcoming International Stakeholder Conference to be held in the month of October this year in order to address the gaps inherent in the ICT system. Adding that answers to unattended questions should be forwarded to the Committee Clerk within one week in facts and figures.

Okoro Esther A.O.

Info Officer I (Press)

For: Director (Info,Press & PRU)