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…178 MDAs Without Governing Boards, 119 Others Fail To Submit Financial Reports

…50 Federal Agencies Face ICPC Investigations Over Procurement, Recruitment Breaches

A comprehensive compliance assessment of federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) has uncovered widespread deficiencies in governance structures, financial accountability, procurement practices and anti-corruption frameworks across the public sector.

The report prepared by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for the 2025 fiscal period reviewed 357 MDAs.

THE WHISTLER analysis of the report revealed that nearly half of the institutions assessed lacked clearly articulated organisational values, mission and vision statements accessible to staff, raising concerns about institutional culture and direction.

According to the findings, 169 MDAs, representing 49.13 percent, do not have core values, mission and vision systems for staff understanding, while 191 MDAs (55.52 percent) have not domesticated policies regulating the acceptance of gifts, donations and hospitality.

The assessment also highlighted serious governance gaps. A total of 178 MDAs were found not to have instruments establishing governing boards or councils, while 39 MDAs currently operate without boards or oversight structures in place.

Strategic planning and performance monitoring also emerged as weak areas. The report disclosed that 106 MDAs (30.81 percent) lack strategic plans, while 157 MDAs (45.64 percent) do not have effective monitoring systems and failed to conduct monitoring and evaluation of their programmes and projects.

Anti-corruption mechanisms appeared particularly weak in many of the establishments. The report noted that 289 MDAs, representing 84.01 percent, do not encourage Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs) to conduct System Studies or Corruption Risk Assessments.

Similarly, 241 MDAs (71.22 percent) have not domesticated whistle-blower policies, while whistle-blowing policies in 270 MDAs (78.49 percent) are either inaccessible or unavailable to stakeholders.

Financial management deficiencies were also discovered to be widespread. The report found that 101 MDAs (29.36 percent) do not have guidelines governing staff advances.

In addition, 65 MDAs (18.9 percent) fail to ensure timely retirement of advances, while 83 MDAs (24.13 percent) grant fresh advances before previous ones are retired.

The report further stated that a total of 119 MDAs (34.59 percent) failed to render financial reports to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) during the period under review.

Forty-two MDAs (12.21 percent) were found not to comply with regulations on the remittance of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), while 80 MDAs (23.26 percent) violated provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

Internal and external audit compliance also remained problematic. Sixty-three MDAs (18.31 percent) failed to conduct internal audit activities as required, while 115 MDAs (33.43 percent) did not submit annual audited accounts to the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation and the National Assembly.

The report further revealed that 61 MDAs (17.73 percent) lacked externally contracted auditors engaged through due process.

On procurement, the report showed that 88 MDAs (25.58 percent) did not conduct annual needs assessments before procurement activities, while 35 MDAs (10.17 percent) lacked annual procurement plans aligned with the Public Procurement Act 2007 and approved budgets.

Also, 115 MDAs (33.43 percent) failed to conduct market surveys during the year under review, while 76 MDAs (22.09 percent) did not provide external partners and stakeholders with ethics and compliance principles, including sanctions for violations.

The report also noted that 37 MDAs (10.76 percent) failed to undertake performance certification of ongoing projects and verify supplied goods.

“Significantly, 50 MDAs (14.53 percent) currently face petitions or ongoing investigations by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged infractions involving procurement and recruitment processes.”

“Legal and administrative shortcomings were equally evident. Twenty-one MDAs (6.10 percent) were found to be operating without legal instruments establishing their existence, while 25 MDAs (7.27 percent) do not conduct annual performance reviews and appraisals, resulting in irregular staff promotions,” the report added.

It further stated that 56 MDAs (16.28 percent) still rely largely on manual record-keeping systems, while 15 MDAs (4.36 percent) either lack websites entirely or have not updated them within the last six months.

Capacity development and ethics training remain major concerns. According to the findings, 144 MDAs (41.86 percent) do not have annual training plans, while 149 MDAs (43.31 percent) fail to provide ethics and compliance training for management and staff.

“Furthermore, 195 MDAs (56.69 percent) engage training consultants or firms that are not accredited by relevant regulatory agencies,” the report said.

It also identified weaknesses in ethical standards and staff motivation. Ninety-nine MDAs (28.78 percent) do not have domesticated codes of conduct, while professional codes in 179 MDAs (52.03 percent) are outdated.

The report, which was signed by the Chairman of the ICPC, Dr Musa Aliyu, SAN, noted that 152 MDAs (44.19 percent) lack reward systems for employees.

To address the deficiencies, the report recommended stronger collaboration between the ICPC, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) and other stakeholders to improve monitoring and compliance through adequate funding and manpower.

The Commission urged the Federal Government to enforce statutory requirements on the submission of periodic and annual audited reports by MDAs, including the application of sanctions where necessary.

The ICPC, in the report, stressed the need for strict compliance with the Public Procurement Act 2007 and other regulatory frameworks, while recommending urgent legislative action for public institutions operating without enabling laws.

Among other recommendations, the report urged the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to advise the President on the need to constitute and inaugurate governing boards for statutory institutions.

It further proposed profiling persistently non-compliant MDAs through system studies and enforcement measures, as well as ensuring that the Budget Office and National Assembly make budgetary provisions for Anti-Corruption and Transparency Units (ACTUs).

The report also recommended that the ICPC create a dedicated budget line for monitoring ACTUs and following up on compliance activities to strengthen accountability across government institutions.

THE WHISTLER had on Tuesday, reported an audit showdown between the Public Accounts Committee of the Senate and three federal government agencies on issues bordering on alleged financial infractions.

The heads of the three agencies – Bank of Agriculture (BOA), the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC), and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) were consequently ordered to appear before the Committee to respond to outstanding audit queries or risk sanctions.

289 MDAs Fail Anti-Corruption Tests, 241 Ignore Whistle-Blower Frameworks – ICPC Report is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

One of the co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, Mexico opened the tournament with a dramatic 2-0 win over South Africa on Wednesday night.

The match was a repeat of the opening game of the 2010 edition, which ended 1-1.

However, this time around, the Mexicans took control of the match from the blast of the referee’s whistle.

And they were rewarded with the first goal within 10 minutes of play.

Julián Quiñones opened the scoring in the 9th minute, and Raúl Jiménez doubled the lead in the 67th minute.

The goals secured the victory for the co-hosts against a South African side that finished with nine men after two red cards.

Mexico also saw Cesar Montes sent off in stoppage them, but took all three points.

2026 World Cup: Mexico beat 9-man South Africa in opening game

The Ebonyi State Government has dismissed as false and misleading claims alleging that it budgeted ₦16 billion for the running of its Abuja Liaison Office.
In a statement issued by the Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media, Leo Ekene-Oketa, the government described the allegation by Chika Nwoba as “malicious, fictitious and deliberately misleading.”

According to the aide, Ebonyi State owns a property located in the Central Business District, Abuja, where a 12-storey building previously stood before it was demolished by the state government in 2016.

It explained that the ₦16 billion provision in the 2026 budget is not for the operation of the Abuja Liaison Office but strictly for the development and redevelopment of the state-owned property for the benefit of Ebonyi people.

The aide further clarified that the actual recurrent expenditure for the Abuja Liaison Office remains within its traditional range over the years, with personnel and operational costs estimated at about ₦77 million.

Reaffirming the administration’s position, Oketa stressed that Governor Nwifuru remains committed to transparency, prudent management of public funds and sustained infrastructural development across Ebonyi State.

He urged the public to disregard what he termed misleading narratives and to rely on verified official communications regarding government finances and projects.

Ebonyi Govt denies budgeting ₦16bn for Abuja Liaison Office

Popular Nollywood actor Stan Nze has revealed that more than five phones were stolen at the late Alex Ekubo’s service of songs on Wednesday.
He made the disclosure hours after actresses Bam Bam and Susan Peters raised the alarm over their stolen phones at the event.

Reacting to the incident in an Instagram post on Thursday, Stan Nze, who was the MC of the event and a close associate of Alex, disclosed that more than five phones were stolen.

Questioning the conscience of Nigerians, he said, “How can you come to a place where people are mourning and steal from them?”

He further claimed that the average Nigerian is wicked and heartless.

“Plenty of times, we complain about the government and how Nigeria is not working, the killings and the insurgency, which is very, very true.

“But I want to address us as a people today. What are our values? I hear people saying that if we get into government, we will do our best, we will change things and policies. To be honest, I doubt that a lot because of the mindset of the average Nigerian.

“I hosted my dear friend’s service of songs last night, and it was one of the hardest things to do. But at that service of songs, over five phones went missing. I’m saying five phones because I don’t want to exaggerate. At least, I know two people who lost their phones personally, and it got me thinking: how can you come to a place where people are mourning and steal from them?

“What has happened to our conscience as a people? At a point, they had to block the gate so that people would not leave until the phones were found. The government is not our problem. Even if we chase everyone in government out now, who will lead? Who will do the job? How is your own personal life? How kind are you to your neighbour? You’re saying that the government is bad, but you’re wicked.

“We’re not kind people. We’re not kind with people’s health, not with money, not with sympathy. We’re not kind people. This is a call to all Nigerians to start doing the right thing in our little circles. People were crying over their phones,” he said.

Watch him speak below:

Over five phones were stolen at Alex Ekubo’s service of songs – Stan Nze

A child playing with a lighter in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Thursday triggered a fire disaster in a three-bedroom flat, DAILY POST reports.

According to the spokesman of the state fire service, Hassan Adekunle, in Ilorin on Thursday, the incident occurred at about 5:08 p.m. at No. 38, Aduagbemi Street, behind Uniform Company, off Asa Dam Road in Ilorin metropolis.

He disclosed that “the incident involved a three-bedroom flat, where one room was affected by the fire.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was caused by a child playing with a lighter and using it to ignite pieces of paper.

“The burning paper subsequently came into contact with nearby combustible materials, resulting in a fire outbreak.

“The fire had already escalated before neighbours noticed the incident and raised the alarm.

“Upon arrival, firefighters swiftly brought the situation under control and prevented the fire from spreading to other parts of the building and adjoining properties,” he added.

The Director of the State Fire Service, Alabi Muhammed, advised parents and guardians to keep matches, lighters and other ignition sources out of the reach of children.

He emphasised that children should be adequately supervised at all times and educated on the dangers associated with playing with fire.

The director further urged residents to install basic fire safety equipment in their homes and to promptly notify the service whenever a fire outbreak is discovered, as early intervention greatly reduces the risk of extensive damage and loss of life.

​

Child playing with lighter triggers fire disaster in Kwara

Bayern Munich have handed Arsenal a major summer transfer blow in the battle to sign Eintracht Frankfurt star Nathaniel Brown.

According to Bild’s Head of Football Christian Falk, Brown’s proposed switch to Bayern is nearing completion and the defender is expected to join Vincent Kompany’s side for a fee of just under £56m, including bonuses.

This comes after the Bundesliga champions saw off competition from Arsenal to win the race for the fullback.

Brown has established himself as one of the brightest young talents in Germany.

The 22-year-old made the squad list to represent Germany at the World Cup.

Transfer: Bayern Munich hand Arsenal major blow

Stakeholders from Eha-Amufu in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State have dismissed allegations that their community is monopolising political positions in the council, insisting that the emergence of Chief Brendan Ani as the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship candidate for the forthcoming local government election aligns with established power-sharing arrangements and principles of equity.

The stakeholders made their position known in separate statements issued on their behalf by Ifeanyi Ogenyi, Esq in response to a press conference by a group known as Isi-Uzo Patriots, which criticised the zoning of the APC chairmanship ticket to Eha-Amufu West Development Centre and alleged political imbalance in the local government.

They commended Governor Peter Mbah, the APC leadership in Enugu State and party members in Isi-Uzo for supporting Ani’s emergence during the party’s primaries, describing the outcome as a fair recognition of a community that had, according to them, been excluded from producing a council chairman for nearly three decades.

According to the stakeholders, the narrative that the nomination has sparked anger and division in Isi-Uzo was “misleading” and based on selective interpretation of demographic and electoral data.

They accused some critics of relying heavily on voter registration and turnout figures from the 2023 general elections to diminish Eha-Amufu’s political weight, while ignoring what they described as the “severe security disruptions” that affected the area prior to the polls.

The stakeholders stated that Eha-Amufu endured repeated attacks by suspected herdsmen between 2020 and 2022, leading to loss of lives, displacement of residents and disruption of normal political participation.

Defending the zoning arrangement, they referenced a 2007 political agreement allegedly reached by representatives of the five communities in Isi-Uzo—Eha-Amufu, Ikem, Neke, Mbu and Umualor.

They explained that the agreement reportedly split the local government into two political blocs, Eha-Amufu and Igbo-Ano, and recognised Eha-Amufu’s demographic strength based on population, land mass, voter registration and education figures at the time.

Quoting from the position, they maintained that “Eha-Amufu accounted for about 60 per cent of the population, 55 per cent of land mass and 52 per cent of registered voters,” insisting these figures justify rotational equity in leadership selection.

The stakeholders argued that political offices in Isi-Uzo have not always strictly followed zoning arrangements, recalling earlier periods when key positions were concentrated in certain communities without similar backlash.

They also faulted renewed calls for a return to the old three-development-centre structure, describing such demands as “politically motivated and coming late in the day,” given that stakeholders had long adopted the current framework.

They further noted that the creation of a second development centre in Eha-Amufu in 2015 was intended to reflect demographic realities and improve fairness in political representation.

On current political structure, they maintained that positions are spread across the four development centres, insisting that Eha-Amufu West Development Centre presently holds neither elective nor appointive office.

The stakeholders pointed to what they described as the existing concentration of key offices in Isi-Uzo Central, including the State House of Assembly seat, a commissioner position, and other strategic appointments in the state government.

In their view, denying Eha-Amufu West the chairmanship position would worsen imbalance rather than correct it, arguing that “equity demands inclusion, not exclusion.”

They further alleged that some of the critics of the APC primary outcome had previously opposed the party and only became vocal after the emergence of Ani as the chairmanship candidate.

Reaffirming their stance, they stressed that Eha-Amufu is not in conflict with any other community in Isi-Uzo and urged residents to resist attempts to inflame tensions or distort historical agreements for political advantage.

The stakeholders called for unity across the local government, urging all actors to prioritise peace and collective development while reaffirming support for Governor Peter Mbah’s administration and the APC ahead of the forthcoming local government election.

Eha-Amufu Leaders Reject Monopoly Claims, Back APC Chairmanship Candidate is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested an Aviation Security officer and two other suspects over alleged involvement in cash and gold smuggling at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.

A statement by EFCC said the suspects, Ali Baffa, an Inspector 1 with Aviation Security (AVSEC), along with Aushabu Nasidi and Mukhtar Muhammad Dan Zaria were arrested by operatives of the Kano Zonal Directorate of the EFCC during an operation at the airport.

According to the agency, the arrests were made on Friday, June 11, 2026, during what the commission described as a routine surveillance exercise by the Land and Property Fraud Section of the Kano Zonal Directorate.

The operation followed a directive from the EFCC Executive Chairman ordering all zonal offices to step up enforcement against the smuggling of mineral resources and bulk cash through international airports.

According to initial findings, Ali Baffa allegedly hid 22.2 kilograms of unprocessed gold bars, valued at over N4.4 billion, inside his trousers with the intention of evading security checks. The gold was allegedly meant to be handed over to passengers travelling out of the country for illegal export.

Further investigation led to the arrest of Aushabu Nasidi, who was alleged to have supplied the gold bars to Baffa. At the time of his arrest, he was reportedly found with several foreign currencies in his possession.

The recovered currencies included 3,000 Saudi Riyals, 40,000 Turkish Lira, 199.75 Kuwaiti Dinar, 20,700 Philippine Peso, 80 Australian Dollars, 310 Chinese Renminbi, 4,000 Algerian Dinar, 40 Hong Kong Dollars, 26,000 Hungarian Forint, and 1,000 Sudanese Dinar.

The probe also led to the arrest of Mukhtar Muhammad Dan Zaria, who was alleged to have supplied the gold bars to Nasidi. During interrogation, he reportedly admitted involvement in multiple shipments.

“While being interviewed, Dan Zaria revealed to the Commission that he had smuggled an estimated 40.2 kilograms of gold from June 1 to June 11, 2026 using the same modus operandi,” the statement said.

All three suspects are currently in EFCC custody.

The Commission said they will be charged to court upon completion of ongoing investigations.

EFCC arrests airport security officer, two others over alleged gold smuggling in Kano

The Federal Government, through the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, frowned at the hostility against its citizens in South Africa.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said this on Thursday during an interview on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels Television.

She said what Nigeria will do in terms of bilateral relations will be heard from the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the presidency.

“Honestly, enough is enough. Enough really has to be enough, but whatever will be done, you’ll hear from the higher authorities.

“For us as a commission, we’ve been engaging people to people. We’ve gone there many times to talk to our own people, but I tell you something, like I said, none of these people that came back committed any crime in South Africa.

“If one person commits a crime, get that person and deal with that person. You cannot generalize. But don’t forget that it’s not just Nigerians, but we have a higher number, so it’s something in them, and their government is looking the other way,” she said.

Xenophobia: ‘Enough is enough’ – Nigerian Govt

Ahead of Democracy Day celebrations, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs has cautioned against linking criminal activities to any religion or ethnic group, warning that such narratives could deepen divisions and undermine efforts to tackle insecurity in the country.

The council made the call on Thursday in a Democracy Day message signed by its Public Affairs Officer, Abbas Jimoh, on behalf of the President-General of the NSCIA and Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar.

According to the statement, while insecurity remains a major challenge confronting the country, criminality should not be given ethnic or religious colouration.

It added that the council was concerned about the persistent threats posed by banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and other forms of violent crime, which continue to claim innocent lives, displace communities and hinder national development.

“Criminality should neither be given ethnic nor religious colouration, as such narratives deepen divisions and undermine collective efforts to address insecurity and achieve lasting peace,” the statement said.

It expressed concern over what it described as attempts by some individuals and groups to associate Nigerian Muslims with banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes, saying such profiling is unfair and does not reflect the character of the majority of Muslims in the country.

“We wish to state unequivocally that such religious profiling is false, misleading, and grossly unfair to the overwhelming majority of peace-loving Nigerian Muslims who continue to live, work, and contribute positively to national development across all sectors of society,” it said.

“While some mischief-makers were hell-bent on criminalising the Muslims and the Shariah for the kidnapping of students and teachers in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State, recent developments have vindicated the Muslims of the attempted false-criminalisation,” the statement added.

It further argued that ethnic profiling was equally misleading, noting that suspects arrested in connection with the incident were not identified as Fulani, contrary to earlier reports.

The council urged media organisations, opinion leaders and other stakeholders to uphold professionalism, accuracy and fairness in their reporting and public commentary.

It also warned against narratives capable of inflaming tensions among Nigeria’s diverse communities and called for greater cooperation among government, security agencies and citizens in addressing insecurity.

Islamic Council warns against linking crime to religion, ethnicity