Corruption Charges: Aide Celebrates Oyo-Ita’s Acquittal

Former head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), Winifred Oyo-Ita, has expressed gratitude to God after the Federal High Court in Abuja pronounced her innocent in a case of alleged money laundering brought against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

After six years of fighting for her freedom, she was finally discharged and acquitted of all the charges. The emotional atmosphere was turned into a celebration of justice, as Justice James Omotosho dèclared her innocent of a frivolous and malicious case brought against her.

This was contained in a statement signed by her media aide, Ofem Uket, stating that Oyo-Ita was the second female head of the Civil Service of the Federation to institute initiatives that positioned the public service for all-time growth.

“She was one of the most cerebral Head of the Civil Service this Nation has produced, and records shows that between 2018 and 2019, the federal civil service reforms implemented under her, particularly through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), contributed to saving over N288 billion.”. These savings were realised overtime, and with significant, accelerated methods occurring during her tenure due to intense focus on cleaning up the payroll and reducing leakages”.

Oyo-Ita initiated the removal of ghost workers in the public service, which was critical to eliminating and reducing waste within the civil service.

She introduced Asset Tracking through the Asset Tracking Management Project (ATMP), and her office aimed to track, monitor, and manage fixed assets to block leakages. There was also a Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA), which collaborated on payroll audits, and a reported savings of N208.4 billion were recorded, streamlining the financial base of the public sector. Oyo-Ita pioneered the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP), a comprehensive reform agenda aimed at modernising operations, strengthening accountability, and improving service delivery.

She launched the “EPIC” culture, advocating for a civil service that is Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible, and Citizen-Centred, a philosophy that became a guiding principle across ministries and agencies.

Uket stressed that she is a strong advocate of digitalization. In his words, “She pushed for a paperless environment through the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system, improving productivity and information sharing.

“She instituted the digitization of records for federal employees, laying the foundation for the Human Resource module of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

“Her desire to develop the capacity of civil servants saw over 1,000 civil servants trained across various sectors within three years. She also oversaw the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), which gained new clinics, hotels, and classrooms to enhance training facilities.”

To boost morale and performance, Uket said that Oyo-Ita introduced a Reward and Recognition Policy to incentivize outstanding civil servants. She further supported the establishment of the Efficiency Unit within the Ministry of Finance, helping to block leaks and reduce waste in government spending.

He recalled that her tenure also prioritized welfare, with the launch of the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) programme to address housing challenges faced by civil servants.