From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
Benue State Government has uncovered over 2,500 ghost workers who have been removed from the payroll.
This revelation was contained in a press statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Govermor Tersoo Kula on Thursday 20th July, 2023 and made available to the media.
Governor Alia said it is the first phase of an extensive staff verification and payroll audit for all teachers and local government staff.
The Governor who regretted over the delay in payment of salaries of teachers in Primary and Secondary Schools, as well as the Local Government staff, explained that the decision for the delay in the payment of salaries of the above mentioned workers was taken after the government discovered mindless padding of the wage bill, and other fraudulent manipulations on their payroll.
He also, said the decision became necessary after the discovery, to enable the government sanitize and cleanse the payroll; to ascertain the true wage bill of the state and to know the genuine workers that are worth their wages.
Alia identified ghost workers, ghost schools, double dipping, unlawful employment, salary padding, payment to dead or retired individuals, unlawful replacement, inflation of the wage bill, as some of the payroll infractions discovered from the audit.
He assured that, workers who were successfully screened will receive their salaries before the end of this week, noting that government is not only fishing out ghosts workers and removing the padding associated with payroll fraud, but also putting in place measures to ensure the system is protected going forward.
In another vein, the Governor has removed the State Accountant General Mr. Agwaza Iorkpiligh and replaced him with a female Mrs. Theresa Nyitse.
In a letter signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Joseph Alakali conveying the appointment, Mrs. Nyitse’s appointment, takes immediate effect.
Nyitse, before her latest appointment, was an Accountant in the Central Accounts of the office of the Accountant General, Benue State.
