The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it recovered over N20 billion in pension deductions from the salaries of ghost workers in 2024.

The chairman of ICPC, Musa Aliyu, said this on Wednesday in Abuja at a breakfast meeting with some members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.

Mr Aliyu said that the commission also arrested some people who specialised in inserting the names of their cronies into the federal government payroll.

According to him, while deductions for workers’ pensions are remitted to Pension Fund Administrators, the same cannot be said for ghost workers’ pensions.

“Any deduction made on ghost workers cannot go to any Pension Fund Administrator.

”It will be hanging, so that was the N20 billion recovered.

“We have been able to track and recover this amount of money and we also identified people that are inserting ghost workers in the system.

“We even discovered that somebody put his wife, his son and his inlaw in the payroll.

”He is a 15-year-old boy. We arrested him.

“These are some of the challenges that we are trying to see that we tackle.

”We don’t want to allow this to happen again,” he said.

The chairman further revealed that the commission succeeded in blocking about N50 billion from being diverted by some public officers in 2023.

While seeking the support of the media in achieving the commission’s mandate, he said that the anti-graft agency had put in place strategies to fight corruption.

He said that the commission was trying its best to achieve its goal, adding that it would not hide information or compromise on enforcement

“As we are empowered and regarding the issue of enforcement, we will ensure that we share verified information through reports, newsletters and press releases on our website and social media.

“Last year, we had an event whereby we unveiled the Strategic Action Plan 2024-2028.

”Our strategic Action Plan is in line with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy.

“We would always be proactive in making sure that we don’t allow certain things to happen so that we don’t go chasing shadows,” he said.

The chairman, however, advocated a review of the nation’s laws to make corruption less attractive.

According to him, anyone found guilty of corruption should not benefit from it as in some jurisdictions.

Mr Aliyu said such persons should be made to pay the full amount involved into public coffers with interest and barred from holding public office for as long as 10 years.

He urged Nigerians to stop eulogising corrupt people, saying this had been at the heart of the rot in society.

He pledged to transform the commission to a leading anti-graft agency in the country with the mutual relationship established with the media.

“Our partnership with the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has greatly improved our anti-corruption communication and public engagement efforts.

“We salute your commitment to the crusade against corruption and our successful efforts in 2024.

“We believe that our combined professional integrity would lead us to achieve more in our mandate of mass mobilisation against corrupt practices in Nigeria,” he said.

Hussaina Akila, the director of news, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, in her remarks, lauded the ICPC chairman for initiating the forum.

Ms Akila, however, urged the anti-graft agency to ensure comprehensive insurance of its operatives, saying this would boost their morale.

The meeting was attended by editors and bureau chiefs from the northern part of the country.

(NAN)