How FMC Violated Public Service Rules To Pay Director N16.7m Salary Several Months After Retirement

Facts have emerged as to how the Federal Medical Centre Keffi, violated the Public Service Rules to illegally pay a retired Director of Finance and Account the sum of N16.7m as salary several months after his retirement.

The infractions were uncovered by the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation during an audit conducted on the financial activities of the institution.

Details of the infractions are contained in the Audit Report prepared by the OAuGF and submitted to the Public Account Committee of the National Assembly for further legislative action.

The Public Service Rules No. 020810 states that “The compulsory retirement age for all grades in the Service shall be 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service whichever is earlier.

It also added that “No officer shall be allowed to remain in service after attaining the retirement age of 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service whichever is earlier.”

But from the Audit conducted by the OAuGF, it was discovered that based on the review of FMC’s Government Information Financial Management Information Systems statements, Treasury Single Account, Central Bank of Nigeria bank statement, Payroll and Nominal Roll, the member of staff with the particulars: IPPIS No. 301682, Staff File No. 590, Date of birth: 23/09/1958, and Date of first appointment: 09/07/2001, was still in the service of the FMC Keffi Centre, even after retirement.

The Audit revealed further that the member of staff retired with the rank of Deputy Director Finance, CONMESS/CONHESS 15, GL 17 step 9 and was paid a monthly net salary of N275,479.61 as he did not work for a full month

In October 2018, he was paid through IPPIS a net salary of N413,103.97, which was N49,830.00 more that his salary of 363,278.97 as a Deputy Director.

The Report stated that the retired director also received the same salary of N413,103.97 from TSA in October 2018.

He was also on the payroll from January to December 2019, as revealed from the review of 2019 Non- regular Allowance, and it was discovered that he received the same salary of 413,103.97 in April, May, November and was paid a net pay 458,970.22 in December 2019 from TSA.

He was also paid on the GIFMIS payment platform, a net pay of N413,103.9 in the months of February, March, June, July, August, September and October 2019 respectively.

The Report stated, “The above anomalies could be attributed to weaknesses in the internal control system at the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi.

“The Chief Medical Director of FMC Keffi is requested to explain the reason(s) for engagement and payments made to a staff who has already retired. Recover the sum of N16,729,201.89 from the staff, pay back to the chest and forward evidence to the Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly, and apply sanctions relating to gross misconduct stated in paragraph 3129 of the Financial Regulations.”

Responding to the infractions, the Managements of FMC Keffi, stated that the officer in question, which it identified as Dr. Samson A. Adegoke, retired as Director of Finance from the Civil Service on the 23rd September, 2018 and IPPIS being an automated application exited him accordingly and payment of his salary was terminated.

It said, “The Governing Board of the hospital in its meetings of 15th and 16th of August, 2018 gave an anticipatory approval for the officer to be offered contract appointment with effect from 1st October, 2018 in the interest of the Centre and general public.

“This process was transparent as nine retired staff of the Medical Centre were considered for contract appointment for two (2) years in the first instance.

“It is however surprising that only Dr. Adegoke was singled out in the report by the Audit team. This appears subjective, witch-hunting and lacks professional ethics of integrity and objectivity.”