FG poised for full automation of workers’ salaries, says Oyo-Ita

The Federal Government said on Tuesday in Abuja that it was poised to ensure full automation of human resources and the payment of salaries of civil servants across the federation.
Winifred Oyo-Ita, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federal, stated this at a workshop on the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System.
The workshop was for finance stakeholders by Oracle, an ICT company.
Oyo-Ita stressed that human resources and payroll system would be integrated and implemented, irrespective of its current challenges.
She said: “I want to enjoin civil servants and everybody to be patient.
“We need to go fully IT-compliant.
“We cannot continue half way manual and half way IT.
“There will definitely be those teething problemsm but I believe that what we experienced in December, when we tried to integrate, will be fully addressed when the pilot commences.”
The HOS, however, said government was doing every possible to address the identified challenges.
Oyo-Ita said: “We brought in Oracle, the software developers, and they are coming to show the various opportunities and functions.
“They are also to explain how this programme can actually be utilised to the advantage of the Federal Government, while discussing areas of our challenges and how they can be blocked.”
She expressed optimism that some of the present challenges of the programme would be identified and addressed during the pilot phase to be commenced soon.
She said: “If we do not start this pilot, we will not actually be able to know how practicable the expanded theories will be.
“It is as you roll it out that you get to find out what the challenges are and you improve on what you have on ground.”
Deepak Mehra, Oracle representative at the workshop, stressed that if given the desired priority, government would have good result from the programme within two years.
Mehra noted that smaller countries with less capacity in Africa had succeeded in running the programme, adding that Nigeria could do better.
He said: “I think that the Nigerian government has the political will and ability to drive through and implement of the programme and this will make the difference.
“Technically, Nigeria has all the capability to implement this.”
NAN.