14,000 ghost workers exposed in Benue LGAs

The findings indicated that the 14, 000 ghost workers out of 29, 600 staff said to be on the local councils payroll were either non-existent or minors below the age of 12.Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Solomon Wombo who made the disclosure at a meeting with the council chairmen in Makurdi regretted […]

The findings indicated that the 14, 000 ghost workers out of 29, 600 staff said to be on the local councils payroll were either non-existent or minors below the age of 12.
Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Solomon Wombo who made the disclosure at a meeting with the council chairmen in Makurdi regretted the level of fraud and blamed the development on the over-bloated wage bill of the state government.
The revelation which is contained in the interim report on the Local Government Salary Automation Exercise carried out by the bureau maintained that only nearly 16, 000 were genuinely employed into the councils.
In the report, Wombo said that children far below the age of 12 had appeared during the screening just as he wondered how they got employed in the first instance.
He therefore intimated that a joint committee will be sent out to verify and confirm the authenticity of the report for onward presentation to the governor, while he cautioned the chairmen to resist the temptation to carry out new employment.
The Special Adviser further warned the respective councils boss not to divert money to anybody other than those legally employed especially as their tenures are gradually coming to an end by next month, ordering them however to immediately commence payment of salaries to their staff.