Fresh outrage has greeted the discovery of 908 ghost workers across federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as Nigerians demand the prosecution of those behind the payroll fraud and question the effectiveness of the Federal Government’s Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recently disclosed that it uncovered the ghost workers and recovered about ₦942 million fraudulently paid to non-existent employees.
But rather than celebrate the recovery, many Nigerians say the real issue is bringing those responsible for the fraud to justice.
The anti-graft agency revealed that the Nigeria Police Force recorded the highest number of ghost workers, with 570 fictitious names on its payroll. Other affected agencies include the National Water Resources Authority, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Interior and the Federal Ministry of Works.
The revelations have sparked widespread debate on radio programmes, in newspapers and across social media, with many questioning how ghost workers could still thrive despite years of reforms under the IPPIS.
Introduced to centralise salary payments and eliminate payroll fraud through biometric verification and a unified personnel database, the IPPIS was expected to wipe out ghost workers and save billions of naira.
Although successive administrations have claimed the platform removed thousands of fake workers and blocked massive leakages, the latest ICPC findings have cast fresh doubt on the system’s effectiveness.
Financial experts say technology alone cannot stop corruption if those managing the system compromise its integrity.
They argue that ghost workers cannot remain on government payrolls without the active involvement of personnel officers, payroll administrators, finance officials and other insiders.
Across several radio phone-in programmes, Nigerians questioned why anti-corruption agencies often announce recoveries without naming or prosecuting the public officials responsible.
One caller on Nigeria Info 95.1 FM said, “If IPPIS was created to eliminate ghost workers, how are hundreds still being discovered years later? Somebody must be held accountable.”
Another insisted that recovering stolen funds was not enough, saying those who inserted the fake names and protected them should face prosecution to serve as a deterrent.
A caller identified as Comfort from Jabi, Abuja, alleged that payroll fraud had become deeply entrenched in parts of the public service, claiming that some officials placed family members on government payrolls despite not working for the government.
Another caller, Abubakar from Gwagwalada, described corruption in the country as pervasive, lamenting that ghost workers had become one of many examples of fraud in public institutions.
Civil society organisations have also called for a thorough investigation into the scandal, insisting that deleting fake names from the payroll is not enough.
According to them, public confidence can only be restored when those responsible are identified, dismissed where necessary and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Governance experts warned that ghost workers do more than drain public funds, saying they inflate personnel costs, distort manpower planning and divert scarce resources away from critical sectors such as education, healthcare, security and infrastructure.
Many Nigerians also believe payroll fraud extends beyond the Federal Government to state and local governments, citing previous ghost worker scandals across the country.
For many citizens, the unanswered question remains why ghost workers continue to surface despite repeated reforms.
They insist that only strong political will, tighter payroll controls, transparent investigations and the prosecution of offenders will convince Nigerians that the era of ghost workers is finally over.
