President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to cary out a comprehensive forensic audit of Federal Government systems, including the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, IPPIS.
The audit will examine government agencies, payroll and personnel records, financial management platforms, and internal controls following findings by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, on “fake agencies,” ghost workers and other control failures.
The directive followed a resolution by the Federal Executive Council on August 19, 2026, in response to the ICPC findings.
The exercise is expected to determine the nature and extent of weaknesses in the government’s control systems and establish how such weaknesses may have been exploited.
The review will have two interconnected components. The first will focus on a forensic audit of government systems, particularly IPPIS and related payroll, personnel, pension and financial management platforms.
It will examine reported cases of ghost workers and payroll fraud, reconcile figures identified by the ICPC, trace how fictitious or ineligible persons were enrolled, and assess access, identity, biometric and bank account controls.
The audit will also examine the interfaces between IPPIS and other government platforms, including the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System, Remita, the Treasury Single Account, TSA, and Sub-TSA.
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The review will determine whether identified fraud resulted from system defects, process failures, inadequate segregation of duties or deliberate circumvention of established controls.
The second component will cover all Federal Government agencies, departments, commissions, councils, parastatals and other government bodies.
It will establish a definitive inventory of such entities and verify their legal basis, while examining how they obtain official recognition, budgetary consideration, correspondence privileges, office facilities and access to government systems.
The exercise will also assess governance, procurement, internal audit and oversight controls across the Federal Government to identify and address systemic weaknesses that could allow irregular entities or individuals to access public resources.
Tinubu directed that the exercise be conducted in line with the highest standards of independence, professionalism and forensic integrity.
The audit team will have access to relevant government systems and records and will collaborate with the ICPC to ensure the review complements ongoing investigations, prosecutions and recoveries.
The President expects the exercise to go beyond identifying individual cases of fraud or administrative failure by strengthening government systems, closing systemic loopholes, improving data verification and reconciliation, reinforcing accountability, and ensuring that only duly constituted entities and eligible personnel have access to government resources.
The exercise underscores the administration’s commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability, fiscal governance and institutional integrity across the Federal Government.
Crediblenewsng.com
