The Federal Government on Tuesday commenced moves for the full implementation of the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System for the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the entire intelligence community.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning/GIFMIS Project Sponsor, Zainab Ahmed, inaugurated an inter-ministerial task force for the full implementation of the system in the armed forces in Abuja.
In her address at the inauguration, Ahmed observed that whereas the system was being used by all ministries, departments and agencies, the armed forces and the intelligence community had raised concerns.
She said, “As a matter of fact, the armed forces only apply certain aspects of the system in their operations and continue to function manually for the bulk of their activities.
“While we have made some progress regarding the use of IPPIS, I considered it necessary to look into the concerns raised with regard to full GIFMIS implementation with the sole aim of addressing them to ensure successful implementation of the system.”
The minister said some of the concerns raised by the military and the intelligence agencies included covert operational expenses that were mainly cash based and cash-based non-regular allowances for personnel and officers.
Others include remote field operational areas not covered by ICT infrastructures that enable Internet transactions and/or ATMs for transaction processing, and alignment of GIFMIS operations to the command and control structures of the armed forces.
Ahmed told the military personnel at the event that the constitution of the task force would enable government to look into the concerns and proffer solutions, such that a way forward could be found.
She said membership of the task force had been drawn from the armed forces and other relevant MDAs, adding that the committee’s mandate was to develop GIFMIS implementation guidelines for the armed forces.
The minister noted that the system was not the wishful thinking of the treasury but a multi-agency programme jointly developed by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Debt Management Office, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and the Federal Inland Revenue Service in consultation with other stakeholders.
She stated that with the GIFMIS, the overall object of government was to implement a computerised financial management information system for the Federal Government, which would be efficient, effective and user friendly.
