Alleged money laundering: Ex-HoS Oyo-Ita hails court over acquittal
By Joseph Erunke
Former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, has expressed profound gratitude to God after being acquitted of alleged money laundering charges by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
After a prolonged six-year legal battle, Justice James Omotosho discharged and acquitted her of all counts, describing the case brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, as frivolous and malicious.
The ruling sparked an emotional moment in court, with supporters celebrating what they described as a triumph of justice.
In a statement issued by her media aide, Ofem Uket, Oyo-Ita was portrayed as a transformative leader whose tenure significantly repositioned Nigeria’s public service for sustainable growth.
The statement highlighted that she was among the most accomplished Heads of Service in the nation’s history, noting that reforms implemented under her leadership between 2018 and 2019 led to savings exceeding N288 billion, largely driven by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS.
According to Uket, these savings were achieved through aggressive efforts to eliminate payroll fraud and reduce financial leakages, including the removal of ghost workers from the system.
Oyo-Ita also introduced the Asset Tracking Management Project (ATMP), aimed at monitoring and managing government assets more effectively, as well as collaborating on the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit, PICA, which reportedly saved an additional ₦208.4 billion through payroll audits.
Her tenure was further defined by the introduction of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP, a comprehensive reform agenda focused on modernising operations, strengthening accountability, and improving service delivery.
She also championed the “EPIC” culture, promoting a civil service that is Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible, and Citizen-Centred, an initiative that gained traction across ministries, departments, and agencies.
Uket emphasised her strong commitment to digital transformation, noting that she drove the adoption of a paperless system through the Enterprise Content Management, ECM, platform, significantly improving productivity and information sharing.
Additionally, she oversaw the digitisation of federal employees’ records, laying the groundwork for the human resource module of IPPIS, and facilitated the training of over 1,000 civil servants across various sectors within three years.
Her administration also upgraded the Public Service Institute of Nigeria, PSIN, equipping it with modern facilities including clinics, accommodation, and classrooms, to enhance capacity building.
To boost morale, Oyo-Ita introduced a Reward and Recognition Policy for outstanding civil servants and supported the establishment of the Efficiency Unit in the Ministry of Finance to curb wasteful spending.
She also prioritised staff welfare through the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) programme, designed to address housing challenges among civil servants.
The statement said her legacy remains one of reform, transparency, and commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s public service, despite the legal challenges she faced.
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