President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive forensic investigation following the discovery of several fictitious government agencies within the Federal Government’s administrative system.
The directive was announced on Wednesday by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Oyedele said the decision followed findings by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) regarding the fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
According to him, the investigation will examine the administrative procedures, accounting systems and internal controls that allowed the fictitious entities to gain recognition within government structures.
He explained that the ICPC’s investigation revealed that the problem was not limited to the initially identified council, as other fake agencies were also discovered.
The minister said the fictitious council had gone as far as obtaining an administrative code and a Treasury Single Account code, although no funds were eventually paid into the accounts.
“This has gone too far,” Oyedele said, stressing that the government must determine how the fraud occurred and strengthen its systems to prevent a recurrence.
The President has also directed that the investigation cover the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System. According to Oyedele, the existence of fake agencies raises concerns about the possible presence of fictitious employees on the federal payroll.
He said the government could not afford to lose resources to fraudulent personnel while working to improve salaries and conditions for genuine civil servants.
Oyedele disclosed that about N9.495 trillion in subsidy savings and additional revenue had been channelled toward increased salaries and allowances for federal workers.
He added that the Attorney-General of the Federation and his office had been directed to work with relevant government agencies to examine the issue from administrative, financial and governance perspectives.
Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris also confirmed that the ICPC had uncovered more than the originally reported fake council.
Idris said the President was informed of at least two other fictitious agencies and concluded that the issue reflected broader weaknesses in government administration rather than merely an accounting problem.
He said the Attorney-General and Finance Minister would work together with professional audit firms to conduct a comprehensive forensic assessment of the affected systems.
According to Idris, the investigation will also determine whether similar cases exist elsewhere in government.
He cautioned that the irregularities may have existed before the current administration came into office, adding that the government was focused on identifying the weaknesses and closing the loopholes that made the fraud possible.
Meanwhile, the Federal Executive Council approved Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements between Nigeria and Ghana, Tanzania and Switzerland.
Oyedele said the agreements were intended to create better opportunities for Nigerian businesses investing abroad while also encouraging investment into Nigeria from the three countries.
The council also approved a $1.25 billion financing facility from the World Bank’s International Development Association and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
The facility, with a repayment period of about 30 years, will support Nigeria’s investment and job-creation agenda.
The latest developments come as the Federal Government moves to strengthen its administrative and financial controls and prevent fictitious agencies and personnel from exploiting weaknesses within the public service system.
PFIPC: ICPC Uncovers a Network of Fake Agencies, as Tinubu Orders Probe
