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ICPC Discovers ‘Ghost’ Workers’ Salaries Worth $49.9 Billion (Read Details)

According to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and other related offenses, several Ministries, Departments, and Agencies introduced duplicate projects totaling N300 billion to the N13.59 trillion 2021 budget.

In addition to the N49.9 billion that had been tracked as salary for “ghost workers” between January and June of this year, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, chairman of the ICPC, stated that several MDAs had duplicate projects worth N100 billion that were included in the N17.12 trillion 2022 budget.

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The N300 billion in duplicate projects in the 2021 budget and the N100 billion in the 2022 budget, according to Owasanoye, were tracked through scrutiny of projects that were approved for the various MDAs.

If not tracked and intercepted by ICPC, the Federal Government would have squandered N300 billion on duplicate projects introduced into the 2021 budget and N100 billion for the same purpose in the current fiscal year, according to the ICPC head.

The nation avoided spending N49.9 billion between January and June of this year on the salaries of ghost workers who were placed on bogus payroll by fraudulent MDAs thanks to the same preventive action.

The identities of MDAs involved in projects duplicates involving intercepted billions of Naira and fraudulent payrolls, according to Owasanoye, are accessible and will be sent to the committee.

It was pleasing that the Finance Ministry and Accountant General Office worked with us. “The good thing about the preemptive actions made by us is that cash for the fraudulent acts were prevented from being released to the impacted MDAs,” he said.

He encouraged the National Assembly’s pertinent committees to scan the proposed N19.76 trillion 2023 budget for instances of such project duplication.

The right authorities are advised by us not to disburse funds for such projects that were improperly budgeted, he continued. “From our own end, detection of such projects is done by checking their locations and names.

The committee’s chairman, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, expressed the committee’s happiness at the development by announcing that the agency’s operating expenses will rise from N1.8 billion to N1.8 billion.

The committee is impressed by the proactive measures your commission is taking to combat corruption, he continued.

“Your submissions amply demonstrate that there is still hope for our beloved nation in the fight against corruption.

“We will increase your operational cost of N1.8 billion to provide the necessary push for more proactive measures against corrupt practices across the various MDAs.”

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