The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has uncovered hundreds of suspected ghost workers across no fewer than 50 federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, with the Nigeria Police Force recording the highest number of questionable names on the government payroll.
Chairman of the ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, disclosed that the ongoing investigation revealed 570 suspected ghost workers in the Nigeria Police Force, making it the most affected institution so far.
Aliyu also revealed a striking case in which a suspect allegedly inserted the names of his wife, son and mother-in-law into the federal payroll while unlawfully collecting the salaries of 12 other workers.
According to the ICPC chairman, the probe is part of the commission’s efforts to eliminate payroll fraud and strengthen transparency in the management of public funds.
He said other affected institutions include the National Water Resources Authority, where 80 suspected ghost workers were identified, the Federal Ministry of Works with 56, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with 24, and the Ministry of Defence with 19.
Aliyu further disclosed that the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment each recorded 17 suspected ghost workers, while the Federal Ministry of Health had 15 and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had 12.
The ICPC chairman added that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Interior were also implicated in the ongoing investigation.
However, he said the commission withheld the number of suspected ghost workers linked to the two institutions because investigations were still in progress.
The anti-graft agency reiterated its commitment to recovering stolen public funds, prosecuting those found culpable and sanitising the federal government’s payroll system to prevent future abuses.
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