The Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) and Soft Alliance and Resource Ltd. are exploring ways to integrate the commission’s statutory functions with relevant modules of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

The Chairman of the commission, Prof.

Tunji Olaopa, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja when he received a delegation from Soft Alliance and Resource Ltd. , led by its Director and IPPIS Consultant, Tunde Ojumu, in his office.

Olaopa said the proposed integration was to improve digital service delivery, recruitment processes and personnel management across the Federal Civil Service.

He added that it was designed to strengthen recruitment procedures, enhance human resource management and ensure the timely synchronisation of personnel records across government institutions.

He stressed the need for seamless coordination between recruitment approvals and the onboarding of successful candidates on IPPIS, noting that delays in uploading newly recruited personnel onto the system remained a major concern.

The chairman emphasised the importance of efficient, transparent and interconnected digital processes in improving personnel administration and ensuring that government recruitment activities were properly reflected in the central personnel and payroll management system.

He explained that the commission currently operates an independent online recruitment portal, which has enhanced transparency in its recruitment exercises and improved the management of recruitment-related activities.

According to him, two possible integration options are being considered to achieve the desired objectives without compromising the commission’s statutory responsibilities.

Olaopa said the first option would involve retaining the existing recruitment portal and linking it to IPPIS through an application programming interface (API), which would enable both platforms to exchange relevant information seamlessly.

He added that the second option would involve full integration with the central government platform, subject to appropriate technical and operational arrangements that would ensure effective coordination between the commission and the IPPIS management team.

The chairman, however, stressed that any integration framework must safeguard data sovereignty, process integrity and institutional control, given the commission’s statutory responsibilities for recruitment, promotion and other personnel-related functions.

He further underscored the need for a reliable, data-driven framework to support personnel management, disciplinary procedures and other human resource functions across the Federal Civil Service.

In his remarks, Ojumu outlined the evolution of IPPIS and the improvements introduced to enhance its functionality, flexibility and responsiveness to the operational requirements of government institutions.

He explained that the system had evolved into a configurable, locally developed solution built on Oracle technology to accommodate the peculiarities and administrative requirements of the Nigerian public service.

Ojumu expressed Soft Alliance and Resource Limited’s readiness to collaborate with the Commission’s technical team to assess existing platforms, identify operational gaps and determine the most suitable integration options.

According to him, IPPIS has configurable features capable of accommodating institution-specific requirements, strengthening inter-agency workflows and facilitating the timely synchronisation of personnel records, including promotion and retirement information.

The engagement also highlighted the importance of accurate and synchronised personnel records in preventing administrative errors, improving payroll management and ensuring the proper application of retirement provisions across the Federal Civil Service. (NAN)

By Tambaya Julius, Abuja

Akwanga, Nasarawa State, is set to host prominent personalities from within and outside the state as The Spotlight Magazine prepares to launch its maiden edition on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

The event is scheduled to take place at Gaji Luxury Hotel, Akwanga, by 2:00 p.

m.

According to the organisers, the occasion will bring together eminent personalities, traditional rulers, political leaders, captains of industry, media practitioners, youth groups and other stakeholders to celebrate the introduction of the magazine.

The Publisher of the Spotlight Magazine, M. J. Yusuf, said the publication was established to spotlight excellence, promote development journalism, celebrate unsung heroes and showcase the rich cultural and economic potential of Akwanga, Nasarawa State and Nigeria at large.

Yusuf explained that the maiden edition features exclusive interviews, investigative reports and inspiring success stories reflecting the experiences, achievements and aspirations of the people.

He added that the magazine aims to provide a platform for promoting development, recognising outstanding contributions to society and highlighting issues of public interest.

The guest speaker and a veteran media professional, Muktar Wakeel, is to deliver the guest lecture at the event.

Dignitaries expected at the launch include the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, members of the National and State Assemblies, the Chairman of Akwanga Local Government Area, and traditional rulers led by the Chun Mada, alongside other royal fathers, business leaders and media practitioners.

The organising committee said adequate arrangements had been made to ensure a colourful, secure and memorable event.

It also invited members of the public and other interested stakeholders to attend the launch and support the magazine’s vision of promoting truth, development and positive change.

The launch is expected to mark the beginning of The Spotlight Magazine’s contribution to development journalism, public discourse and the promotion of the cultural and economic potential of Nasarawa State and the World at large.

The Police Command in Oyo State has arrested 11 suspects over alleged cultism, armed robbery and unlawful possession of firearms in various locations within the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade disclosed this to newsmen while parading the suspects at the Command’s headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan on Monday.

Ayanlade said the exhibits recovered from the suspects were five guns—including a revolver pistol, a Beretta pistol, a pump-action gun, and a locally made cut-to-size pistol—along with four cutlasses.

He said that the arrest formed part of the ongoing investigations and operation of the Command in ridding Oyo State of crime and criminal activities, especially violent crime.

He disclosed that one of the arrested suspects was a very bright physics student of an institution in the state, who had won several awards, but turned out to be the leader of a cult group, Eiye confraternity.

The PPRO said that the student was arrested together with his colleagues in possession of a firearm, a cutlass, and ammunition.

He added that other arrested suspects were a syndicate who specialised in robbing unsuspecting Nigerians of their possessions, especially phones, in different locations within Ibadan and its environs.

He said the leader of the suspected armed robbers had earlier been arrested, prosecuted and currently in a correctional facility.

Ayanlade said that the suspected armed robbers were arrested as a result of painstaking intelligence gathering with the support and collaboration of members of the public.

He said that the suspects were arrested in their various hideouts by operatives of the command monitoring unit.

One of the armed robbery suspects, a 35-year-old, told journalists that his gang operated with cutlasses to instill fear in their victims before snatching their mobile phones.

The suspect said that the gang had snatched a total of 10 expensive phones, which were eventually sold for between N40,000 and N50,000.

Also speaking in an interview, the suspected cultist student said he was initiated as the leader of the group a year ago after graduating from an institution in Apata area of Ibadan.

The suspect said that he could not really say what pushed him into joining the cult group. (NAN)