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HEDA Petitions ICPC Over Alleged Continued Salary Payment to Former Minister Geoffrey Nnaji, Demands Expanded Investigation and Recovery of Funds 

The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has submitted a supplementary petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), urging the Commission to expand its ongoing investigation into former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr. Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, to include alleged salary fraud, unlawful enrichment, payroll manipulation, and possible conspiracy involving public officials.  The petition, signed by HEDA Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju addressed to the commission, follows an earlier petition dated 17 October 2025 concerning allegations of certificate forgery, perjury, and presentation of false academic credentials by Mr. Nnaji. HEDA stated that new information obtained from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) indicates that Mr. Nnaji may have continued to receive government salary payments months after his removal from office.  According to the petition submitted to the ICPC, payroll records obtained from IPPIS for June 2026 allegedly showed that Mr. Nnaji remained listed under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) as “Hon. Minister” and received a net payment of ₦170,282.61 for the month. The document referenced in the petition also reportedly indicated cumulative earnings of ₦5,845,601.13 recorded on the system.  The group expressed concern that if verified, the continued payment of public funds to an individual no longer occupying the office raises serious questions about weaknesses in government payroll management systems and possible breaches of public service accountability standards.  “We are concerned that a public official who has left office could allegedly remain active on the government payroll system for several months. Beyond the individual involved, this raises questions about the accountability of officials responsible for maintaining and supervising government payroll records,” He added.   In its supplementary petition, Suraju urged the ICPC to expand the scope of its investigation and consider additional offences relating to alleged salary fraud, unlawful enrichment, payroll manipulation, and possible collaboration with officials responsible for maintaining payroll records.  The anti-corruption organisation also requested that the Commission investigate the circumstances surrounding the continued presence of Mr. Nnaji’s profile on the IPPIS platform after leaving office; identify and investigate officials responsible for approving or maintaining the alleged payments; take appropriate steps to prevent further disbursement of public funds pending the outcome of investigations;  and recover any public funds found to have been improperly paid.   HEDA reiterated its commitment to promoting transparency, accountability, and integrity in public service, stressing that public resources must be protected from abuse through effective oversight mechanisms.  The organisation called on relevant anti-corruption agencies to ensure a thorough, independent, and transparent investigation into the allegations contained in the petition and take appropriate legal action where wrongdoing is established.