2022 budget padded with fake projects worth N100bn – ICPC

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, said on Thursday the 2022 budget was padded by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) with fake projects worth N100billion.

Owasanoye stated this when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Finance in Abuja.

The ICPC chief revealed that the MDAs also inserted duplicated projects worth N300billion in the 2021 budget.

He added that the commission uncovered N49.9 billion set aside by corrupt officials as salaries for ghost workers between January and June this year.

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Owasanoye said: “A total sum of N300billion would have been wasted by the Federal Government on duplicated projects inserted into the 2021 budget and N100billion for the same purpose in the current fiscal year if not tracked and intercepted by ICPC.

“The same pre-emptive move by the ICPC saved the country from spending N49.9billion for salaries of ghost workers put on fictitious payroll by the fraudulent MDAs between January and June this year.

“The good thing about the commission’s pre-emptive moves is that monies for the fraudulent acts were prevented from being released to the affected MDAs and it is commendable the Ministry of Finance and Accountant General Office cooperated with us on this matter.”

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