FCTA To Audit Staff Payroll

By: Sunday Shekwonya, Samuel Joseoph & Esmeralda Archibong

Authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have concluded plans to begin Personnel Payroll auditing in November, 2023.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Olusade Adesola, disclosed this during a Training Workshop on 2024 Budget Preparation, Implementation and Performance for Budget Officers held at the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Laboratory, Area 11 Garki, Abuja.

The Permanent Secretary said the payroll auditing is to be carried out soon to enable the FCT Administration fish out ghosts workers on its payroll and to ensure that the authentic staff benefit appropriately.

Adesola emphasized that the 2024 budget of the Federal Capital Territory will be a performance based appropriation just as the Personnel Payroll will be audited next month (November).

He said the personnel auditing in November is aimed basically to weed out ghost workers, because the wage bill has been pushed to the rooftop by various reforms, directives, approvals and agitations by trade unions, the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and the Presidency.

The Payroll Auditing, according to the Permanent Secretary, will be technologically driven, such that individuals will upload their data by themselves to indicate that they are alive and staff of where they claimed to be.

The Permanent Secretary said the 2024 Budget will be a marked departure from the tradition, where budgets are submitted late occassioned by situations beyond control.

He stated that the training became necessary for prompt rendition of the FCT budget to ensure Budget Officers are equipped with the required knowledge.

Adesola revealed that the period of verification for the payroll auditing exercise will not exceed one week; stressing that any staff who is not verified at the end of the exercise will be withdrawn from the Payroll.

Welcoming participants to the Training, the Acting Director of Treasury, Mrs. Nanre Emeje, said that budgeting is the beginning of all things as those who don’t prepare their budgets are already doomed to fail.

She maintained that budget is very central to planning and that the 2024 Budget is going to be alligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the government.