pannigeriannews 
By Isaiah Adewole
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a comprehensive forensic audit of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), Federal Government agencies and other government systems as part of efforts to strengthen accountability and prevent fraud.
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 issued on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the directive followed the Federal Executive Council’s resolution of August 19, 2026, which was prompted by findings of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) concerning “fake agencies”, ghost workers and other control failures.
Onanuga said the audit would determine the nature and extent of weaknesses within the Federal Government’s control systems and establish how such weaknesses had been exploited.
“The exercise will establish the nature and extent of weaknesses in Government’s control system, and determine how such weaknesses have been exploited,” the statement said.
The first component of the exercise will focus on IPPIS and related payroll, personnel, pension and financial-management platforms.
It will investigate reported cases of ghost workers and payroll fraud, reconcile figures identified by the ICPC and trace how fictitious or ineligible persons were enrolled into government systems.
The audit will also examine access, identity, biometric and bank-account controls, as well as the 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 review is expected to establish whether identified irregularities 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, verify their legal basis and examine how government bodies 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 government.
President Tinubu directed that the audit 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 exercise complements ongoing investigations, prosecutions and recoveries.
The President said the exercise should go beyond identifying individual cases of fraud or administrative failure, stressing the need to strengthen the overall architecture of government.
According to the statement, the audit is 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 exercise underscores the President’s commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability, fiscal governance and institutional integrity across the Federal Government,” Onanuga said.
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