Ghost Workers: Tinubu Orders Comprehensive Forensic Audit Of IPPIS , Federal Agencies

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive forensic audit of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System and all Federal Government agencies following concerns over ghost workers, payroll fraud and other control failures.

The President directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, to oversee and coordinate the exercise.

According to a statement by presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, the directive followed the resolution of the Federal Executive Council on August 19, 2026, in response to findings by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission concerning “fake agencies,” ghost workers and other weaknesses in government controls.

The audit is expected to establish the nature and extent of weaknesses in the government’s control systems and determine how such weaknesses may have been exploited.

The exercise 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.

According to the Presidency, the exercise 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 review access, identity, biometric and bank-account controls.

It will also examine the interfaces between IPPIS and other government platforms, including the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System, Remita, the Treasury Single Account and Sub-Treasury Single Account.

The review is expected to determine whether fraudulent activities resulted from system defects, process failures, inadequate segregation of duties or deliberate circumvention of 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, with a view to closing systemic weaknesses that could allow irregular entities or persons to access public resources.

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 will collaborate with the ICPC to ensure that the review complements ongoing investigations, prosecutions and recoveries.

The President said the exercise should go beyond identifying individual cases of fraud or administrative failure and focus on strengthening the architecture of government.

It is also expected to close systemic loopholes, improve data verification and reconciliation, reinforce accountability and ensure that only duly constituted entities and eligible personnel have access to government resources.

The Presidency said the exercise underscores Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability, fiscal governance and institutional integrity across the Federal Government.