NLC uncovers 2,000 ghost workers, saves N216m in Niger

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Niger state said that it has saved about N216 million from the uncovered 2,000 ghost workers in the state workforce during the governor’s mandate of screening exercise it carried out within 2016 and 2017.
The State NLC Chairman, Comrade Yahaya Idris Ndako made the disclosure yesterday when presenting the report of the screening exercise to the state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello at Government House.
Ndako informed that since the commencement of the screening, culprits involved in salary padding, double salary alert, over payment and undue allowances were made to refund to the central accounts of the ministry of finance.
He stated that the total workers of the state was 29,000 before the exercise explained that accounts belonging to the dead, retired, absconders and workers who did not appear for the screening exercise, and which were found to have remained active on the salary platform, have been deleted.
NLC chairman, however, described the one year exercise as challenging and appealed to the governor to reintroduce the payment of Leave Grant and consider the upward review of workers salary to further boost their morale and enhance productivity.
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello while receiving the report appreciated the patriotic efforts and challenges encountered by the labour leaders during the exercise.