The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) has petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alleging that Uche Nnaji has continued to obtain month-to-month salaries and allowances 10 months after his resignation as the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology.
In an announcement forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, HEDA, led by its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, said that the petition follows an earlier submission on 17 October 2025 concerning allegations of certificates forgery, perjury, and the presentation of false educational credentials.
Mr Nnaji resigned from his place on 7 October final yr, three days after PREMIUM TIMES published an investigation exposing alleged irregularities within the UNN diploma and NYSC certificates he submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate throughout his ministerial screening in August 2023.
Following the preliminary scandal, the ICPC launched an investigation. After Mr Nnaji ignored multiple invites to be questioned, the company secured an arrest warrant in opposition to him. On 1 July, the previous minister was arrested on the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja upon arrival from Enugu on a chartered flight.
He was subsequently arraigned earlier than the Federal High Court in Abuja on 13 July on six counts of certificates forgery and cash laundering. The listening to has been adjourned till 21 September.
Calls for expanded investigation
In its newest assertion, HEDA has urged the ICPC to broaden its probe in mild of new findings from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS)—the federal platform designed to centralise public-sector payroll knowledge and cut back monetary waste.
According to HEDA’s petition, IPPIS information for June 2026 allegedly listing Mr Nnaji beneath the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation as ‘Hon Minister’, displaying a web fee of ₦170,282.61 for that month. The doc reportedly indicated cumulative earnings of ₦5,845,601.13 recorded on the system.
The organisation expressed alarm {that a} public official who has left workplace may stay energetic on the federal government payroll for a number of months. “We are concerned that a public official who has left office could allegedly remain active on the government payroll system for several months,” the group said. “Beyond the individual involved, this raises questions about the accountability of officials responsible for maintaining and supervising government payroll records.”
HEDA has requested that the ICPC examine the circumstances behind the continued presence of Mr Nnaji’s profile on the IPPIS platform, establish these chargeable for approving these disbursements, and provoke the restoration of public funds. Furthermore, the group is looking for added prices in opposition to the previous minister, together with potential salary fraud, illegal enrichment, and payroll manipulation.
Prior findings