President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive forensic audit of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and Federal Government agencies to uncover weaknesses in government systems, including alleged ghost workers, payroll fraud and fake agencies. The audit will cover government administration, personnel, payroll, pension and financial-management systems, as well as internal controls across Federal Government institutions.
The directive followed the Federal Executive Council’s August 19 resolution on findings by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which identified alleged fake agencies, ghost workers and other weaknesses in government control systems. According to a statement issued by Presidential Spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, on Friday in Abuja, Tinubu directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to oversee and coordinate the exercise.
Onanuga said the audit would establish the nature and extent of weaknesses in government systems and determine how such lapses may have been exploited.
He said the first component of the exercise would focus on IPPIS and related payroll, personnel, pension and financial-management platforms.
The audit will examine reported cases of ghost workers and payroll fraud, reconcile figures identified by the ICPC and trace how fictitious or ineligible persons were enrolled.
It will also assess access, identity, biometric and bank-account controls associated with government personnel and payroll systems.
According to the statement, the review will examine interfaces between IPPIS and other platforms, including the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), Remita, the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and Sub-TSA.
The exercise will determine whether identified vulnerabilities resulted from system defects, process failures, inadequate segregation of duties or deliberate circumvention.
The second component will cover all Federal Government ministries, departments, agencies, commissions, councils, parastatals and other government bodies.
It will establish a definitive inventory of such entities and verify their legal basis and official status.
The audit will also examine how government entities obtain official recognition, budgetary consideration, correspondence privileges, office facilities and access to government systems.
It will assess governance, procurement, internal audit and oversight mechanisms to identify and close systemic weaknesses.
Tinubu directed that the exercise be conducted with the highest standards of independence, professionalism and forensic integrity.
The audit team will have access to relevant government systems and records and collaborate with the ICPC to complement ongoing investigations, prosecutions and recoveries.
The President said the exercise must go beyond individual cases of fraud or administrative failure to strengthen the architecture of government.
The audit is also expected to close systemic loopholes, improve data verification and reconciliation, reinforce accountability and ensure that only legitimate entities and eligible personnel access government resources.
The exercise, according to the statement, underscores Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability, fiscal governance and institutional integrity across the Federal Government.
