Doctors’ Strike: Journalists, NASS Staff Asked To Leave As IPPIS Officials Defend Fraud Allegations

Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Health Care Services on Friday blamed an unnamed syndicate of civil servants and operators of the Integrated Payment and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), for alleged manipulation of the payment platform.

The lawmakers stated this on Friday while meeting with stakeholders in the health sector to deliberate on ways of resolving industrial disputes between government and resident doctors who are currently on strike over issues related to payments.

The committee hurriedly dissolved into a closed door session just before representatives of IPPIS explain their role in the alleged fraud involving multiple payment of salaries to selected resident doctors in certain hospitals across the country.

The development smacked of legislative cover-up as the IPPIS officials, who are at the centre of the issues leading to the ongoing industrial action by resident doctors, were not allowed to speak in the presence of journalists.

Lawmakers had been told by members of Resident Doctors Association that the reason for the ongoing strike is due to financial injustice by IPPIS to the effect that while many are owed salary arrears, others enjoyed multiple payments in the same system.

The hearing had commenced with lawmakers fuming about the embarrassment the strike has caused the government, blaming the situation on alleged ineptitude of the leadership of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), which was supposed to be abreast of happenings within its domain.

One after another, lawmakers took turn to grill the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Abdulaziz Mashi Abdullahi, the MDCN Registrar, Dr. Tajudeen Sanusi, and representatives of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).

They all expressed disdain at what they described as “national embarrassment”, occasioned by the greed of some people in the MDAs who have formed a syndicate to manipulate the IPPIS and defraud government.

But surprisingly, the MDCN Registrar, Dr. Sanusi, who was asked by the Perm Sec to shed light told the committee that he was just getting to hear about the issue of double payment by IPPIS to some doctors and dentists in some hospitals on Thursday.

However, in another breath, the same registrar disclosed to the committee that issues of multiple salaries have led to serious pressure on his Council.

“In the last two, three weeks, there has been serious pressure on us because of this matter,” he said.

Sanusi who apologized for not turning up at the hearing on Thursday thereby forcing the committee to issue a 24hr ultimatum was also indicted for harbouring ghost workers in his Council.

Asked why he was paying some doctors who were not captured by the IPPIS in their database, he parried the question saying explanations regarding people being paid twice lie with the IPPIS.

“The IPPIS people who are around would be in a better position to explain what happened”.

Committee chairman, Hon. Tanko Sununu, at this point asked the IPPIS officials to make available this list of those who were paid twice. He said the list was to enable them confirm that there was indeed double payment and those who benefitted from it.

Members such as Hon. Benjamin Kalu who’s the House Spokesman, Hon. Samuel Adejare, who’s the Deputy chairman, as well as Hon. Haruna Msheliya all lamented the embarrassment the situation had caused the government of the day.

While Hon. Adejare said it was unacceptable for the IPPIS, which government spent so much to put in place to eliminate corruption, has failed, Kalu said the numerous “transaction errors” recorded by the system as noted in the documents were mere internal administrative issues that should have been resolved immediately to avoid the strike.

However, Hon. Msheliya on the other hand said the development was nothing but the handiwork of a syndicate within the MDAs and the IPPIS that’s subverting the system to defraud government.

“Mr PermSec, let me tell you that whenever there is a financial injustice of this magnitude in an institution, know that it is a syndicate that’s behind it. The have insiders whom they use to manipulate the system and it is a serious matter that we must get to the bottom.

“And the Ministry must fish them out and deal with them,” he said.

But just as the IPPIS officials were about to state their own side of the story, the committee chairman asked that the media and committee staff except the Clerk, should exit the room for a closed door meeting.

His deputy, Hon. Adejare, also stressed that no recording device including cameras should be left in recording mode, or should be taken out altogether.

But House Spokesman, Kalu, informed journalists to stay behind for a post meeting briefing from the committee, keeping journalists on the walkway for hours.

The said meeting which started at about 11:48 lasted beyond 4 minutes past 3pm.

Addressing Journalists after the closed door meeting, the deputy chairman, Hon. Adejare urged the resident doctors to call off the strike and return to the negotiating table.

He said Nigerians are finding things difficult due to the strike, adding majority are in pain and cannot access medical care in private hospitals due to economic hardship occasioned by the covid-19 pandemic.

The committee says it will continue its interface on Tuesday next week.