IN SHORT: In October 2024, Nigeria’s Guaranty Trust Bank experienced downtime due to a system upgrade. But the government denies instructing civil servants to shift their accounts to other banks.
Nigeria’s Guaranty Trust Bank, popularly known as GTB, upgraded its core banking system in October 2024. This led to disruptions on its digital platforms with customers experiencing long periods of downtime.
GTB is one of Nigeria's leading banks.
In this context, messages circulating on Facebook in Nigeria claim that the government has asked workers to move their salary accounts out of the bank.
One of the Facebook posts begins: “The Federal Government has urged civil servants on Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) to move their salary account from Guaranty Trust Bank, GTB to another Commercial Bank.”
The Nigerian government introduced the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, or Ippis, to streamline payroll and personnel records for federal employees, reduce fraud and ensure accurate payments.
The same claim appeared here and here. (Note: See more instances at the end of this report).
But has the government issued such a directive? We checked.
Government denies telling workers to switch banks
Speaking to the media, GTB spokesman Cornelius Onuoha said the claim was untrue.
“It is a totally false story. The federal government has also commented about it,” Onouha was quoted as saying.
Bawa Mokwa, spokesperson for the office of the accountant general of the federation (OAGF), also denied the allegations in a statement issued on 4 November.
She said that no instructions had been given to workers to change the banks registered as their salary accounts on the Ippis platform.
“The OAGF explained that whenever there is an application for change of salary account, such is always a personal decision of the worker concerned, adding that the IPPIS Office has not issued any general directive to this effect as there was no reason to do so,” the statement read.
Contrary to online claims, the Nigerian government has not ordered its employees to switch banks.
The false claim appeared here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
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