The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a broad forensic audit of government procedures and internal controls following the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) uncovering more fictitious entities in the system.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, on Wednesday after the FEC meeting, who said the investigation would unearth how such bodies were able to operate within the structure of the government.
The review would show the weaknesses in the current administrative, accounting and governance systems, but would recommend measures to prevent a recurrence, Mr Oyedele said.
And the full forensic investigation will know what went wrong, prevent it from happening again and strengthen governance systems,’ he said.
President Bola Tinubu has, therefore, directed the Ministry of Finance, Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and other relevant government institutions to work together on the review.
The investigation would touch on many aspects of government operations and would not be limited to the issue of the contested Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), the minister said.
The review will also look into the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) especially as the proliferation of fictitious agencies could potentially create a loophole for the registration of ghost employees.
Oyedele warned that ghost workers and fake government institutions could sabotage efforts to improve the pay of genuine civil servants by diverting public funds.
The development comes after an investigation into the activities of the PFIPC, a body whose existence and status has been questioned.
The controversy took a new turn on Wednesday after Adeniyi Adeyemi, who claimed to be the council’s director-general, made allegations against the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and a purported ₦27.3 billion take-off grant.
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Adeyemi alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded 48 per cent share of the grant and alleged that ₦400 million was allegedly paid to the Chief of Staff through a proxy while another ₦200 million was allegedly requested to facilitate presidential approvals.
In a statement on oath, Gbajabiamila has denied the allegations, saying he had no personal, official or professional relationship with Adeyemi.
The Chief of Staff also denied seeking or accepting money, abusing his office or interfering with law enforcement investigations.
He also denied any link with the purported death of Babatunde Tanimola, whom Adeyemi described as an intermediary, and also denied any involvement in an alleged assassination attempt or interference in investigations by security agencies.
The allegations prompted President Tinubu to direct the ICPC to look into the matter.
The latest decision by the FEC broadens the scope of the response, as the government seeks to identify and remedy systemic weaknesses that could allow for fictitious agencies, personnel or other entities to exist within the public service.
