The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, said on Thursday that the Federal Government remained irrevocably committed to improving the lives of Nigerians through judicious and effective management of the nation`s resources.
While speaking at an interactive session with members of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) in Lagos, she said that the government was putting in place structures to eliminate waste from the system as well as enforcing the strictest financial discipline.
“What this government is doing is to ensure that every kobo we are spending is for the good of the people and is accounted for. We are moving away from the past when there was so much waste and people were just spending without really accounting for it,” she said.
Adeosun further explained that the discovery of about 40,000 ghost workers by the government through the Bank Verification Number (BVN) and the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) was a result of efforts to eliminate waste.
She revealed that only one person out of the 40,000 ghost workers had so far complained that his salary had been stopped and had on arrival been quizzed by the Police.
“The government will prosecute all those involved in this scam.We are putting a check on the system and we even now have a unit at the ministry to monitor salaries alone,” she asserted.
The minister, who put the government`s monthly wage and pensions bill at N165billion, assured that the bill would be substantially reduced after government had captured all workers on the IPPIS.
Also in attendance were the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Audu Ogbeh and Minister of Environment, Hajia Amina Mohammed.
They all took turn to reaffirm government’s commitment to better the lives of Nigerians especially through agriculture and tourism.
NAN
