Tinubu Orders Payroll Audit Amid Fake Agencies, Ghost Workers Concerns

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive forensic audit of federal government systems to tackle issues of fake agencies and ghost workers. The directive places the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, in charge of overseeing and coordinating the extensive review.

The audit will scrutinize the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), federal agencies, and their administrative and internal controls. This move follows a Federal Executive Council resolution prompted by findings from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) concerning control failures within government institutions.

The exercise is designed to pinpoint the nature and extent of weaknesses in government control systems and how they have been exploited. It will involve two main components: a forensic audit of systems like IPPIS, focusing on payroll, personnel, pension, and financial management platforms, and a review of all federal government agencies, departments, and bodies.

The system audit will specifically examine reported cases of ghost workers and payroll fraud, reconcile figures with ICPC findings, trace the enrollment of fictitious individuals, and assess access controls. It will also investigate interfaces between IPPIS and other platforms like GIFMIS and Remita to identify fraud stemming from system defects or process failures.

The second component will establish a definitive inventory of all federal entities, verify their legal basis, and assess their governance, procurement, and internal audit controls. President Tinubu emphasized the need for the audit to be conducted with the highest standards of independence and professionalism, aiming to strengthen the government's architecture and close systemic loopholes.

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President Tinubu Approves Comprehensive Forensic Audit of IPPIS, Federal Agencies, Ministries