The World Bank sponsored Kogi State Integrated Financial Management Information System (SIFMIS) is to commence operation in October.
Mr Aminu Ibrahim, the Manager of the project, disclosed this while speaking at a presentation of the integrated system during a seminar for journalists in Lokoja on Wednesday.
Ibrahim said that the system would ensure efficiency, effectiveness, accountability and transparency in public finance as part of the requirements for reform agenda of the Federal Government and the National Economic Council.
He said that project contract agreement was awarded in April and signed by the state Public Sector Governance Reform Development Project and the contractor, Messrs Counterhouse Consultants Ltd.
The manager said that the project, being implemented on two fronts of Infrastructure and The Enterprise Resource Planning Application (Oracle ERP), would be delivered in the third week of September.
The system, according to him, is expected to integrate all other existing platforms like the Remita, cyberspace and the clocking system in the state Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to function as one.
“This is to create single data base for the state government to address issues of discrepancies. Information management is key to arresting corruption and other financial crimes.
“It is expected to address issues of corruption in public service as well as salary wage bill manipulations, over payment and underpayment in civil service as it will create separate identity for each worker in the system using the Bank Verification Number (BVN).
“This is also expected to address issues of ghost workers and policy somersault and serve as a tool to guide the government in its financial transactions,” he said.
Ibrahim called on media practitioners, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to key into the programme and help to propagate the information and create awareness.
Credit: Daily Trust
