President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive forensic investigation into the fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and other fictitious government agencies uncovered by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The directive was disclosed on Wednesday by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Edun said the investigation would examine weaknesses in government procedures, internal controls and administrative systems that allowed fake agencies to operate within the federal structure.
He said the probe would determine how the irregularities occurred and recommend measures to strengthen institutional safeguards and prevent a recurrence.
Tinubu also directed that the investigation be extended to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to determine whether the existence of fictitious agencies facilitated the payment of salaries to ghost workers.
The President stressed the need to eliminate such irregularities to protect public funds and ensure genuine civil servants receive their salaries and allowances.
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The Attorney-General of the Federation and the Ministry of Finance have been directed to work with relevant agencies to investigate the administrative, accounting and governance lapses linked to the scandal.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the ICPC had uncovered at least two additional fake agencies apart from the PFIPC.
He said professional audit firms would be engaged to conduct a full forensic review and identify loopholes in the system.
Idris added that preliminary findings indicated that some of the irregularities may have existed before the Tinubu administration, stressing that the President was determined to strengthen public institutions and prevent a recurrence.
Meanwhile, FEC approved Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements between Nigeria and Ghana, Tanzania and Switzerland to promote cross-border investment and strengthen Nigeria’s tax treaty framework.
The council also approved a $1.25 billion concessional financing facility from the International Development Association and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to support investment, economic growth and job creation.
