President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive forensic investigation into the Federal Government’s administrative and payroll systems following the discovery of fictitious government agencies within the public service.
The directive was disclosed on Wednesday by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The investigation follows the controversy surrounding the alleged fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), which reportedly gained access to parts of the Federal Government’s administrative structure.
ICPC Probe Triggers Wider Government Investigation
According to Oyedele, an investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) showed that the PFIPC case was not an isolated incident.
The findings reportedly raised questions about the internal processes and controls that allowed fictitious entities to gain official recognition within government.
As a result, President Tinubu directed a broader forensic review of the systems involved.
“Mr President gave us the updates about the work the ICPC has done, and as a result of that, the council has directed that we commission a forensic investigation that will look into our processes, our procedures, internal control weaknesses that allow some of these things to happen.”
Tinubu Extends Forensic Audit to IPPIS
The President has also ordered that the investigation cover the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), amid concerns that weaknesses in the system could potentially allow fictitious employees to be added to the government payroll.
Oyedele said the possibility of fake workers entering the payroll was a major concern following the discovery of fictitious agencies.
“If you have fake agencies, you most likely have fake employees,” the minister said.
He noted that the government could not afford to pay non-existent workers, particularly as significant resources are being committed to improving salaries and allowances for legitimate public servants.
Oyedele disclosed that the Federal Government had deployed ₦9.495 trillion generated from subsidy savings and increased revenues towards additional salaries and allowances for civil servants.
How Fake Agencies Obtained Government Codes
Another major concern is how the fictitious entities managed to progress through official government procedures and obtain administrative and Treasury Single Account (TSA) codes.
Oyedele explained that the entities were able to register within the government system and obtain the codes required to establish official accounts.
“They managed to register and obtain an administrative code as well as a TSA code. The only thing that didn’t happen was that we didn’t pay any money to those accounts.”
Although no government funds were ultimately paid into the accounts, the minister said the fact that the fictitious agencies reached that stage exposed weaknesses in the existing administrative and financial controls.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Finance have consequently been directed to work with relevant institutions to investigate the matter from administrative, accounting and governance perspectives.
Professional audit firms are also expected to participate in the forensic investigation.
ICPC Uncovers More Fictitious Government Agencies
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the ICPC investigation uncovered additional fictitious agencies beyond the PFIPC controversy.
According to Idris, investigators identified at least two more fake agencies within the government system.
The discovery has raised further questions about the procedures used to establish and recognise government institutions.
“The President was informed that it is not just about the so-called Presidential Foreign Promotion Council and the fake DG that was there, but that there were at least two additional fake agencies that were in that process.”
Idris said Tinubu had directed the Attorney-General and Finance Minister to jointly assess the Federal Government’s administrative and accounting procedures.
The review is expected to establish how the fictitious entities navigated government processes, identify those responsible and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents.
FG Moves to Close Administrative Loopholes
The controversy has now developed into a wider assessment of vulnerabilities within the Federal Government’s bureaucracy.
Rather than limiting the investigation to the agencies already identified, the administration wants to determine whether similar incidents may have occurred elsewhere.
Idris said the President was concerned about the possibility of other weaknesses within the government system.
“The President is not just looking at this; he is looking at the possibility that this may also have occurred elsewhere.”
The forensic audit is therefore expected to examine government procedures, internal controls, payroll systems and financial processes while identifying potential loopholes that could be exploited to create fictitious institutions or workers.
The outcome could lead to administrative reforms aimed at strengthening verification, accountability and oversight across the Federal Government’s public service systems.
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