A state in Nigeria is paying N20 million per month to 362 workers and they are ‘ghosts’.
Ekiti State in Southwest Nigerian said it uncovered the ghost workers in some local governments.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development, Prof. Adio Folayan, who disclosed the development when he presented a State Staff Verification Committee report to Gov. Kayode Fayemi in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, on Wednesday, did not reveal the local governments.
The committee was set up by the government to audit the local government staff towards identifying those who are genuine or fake workers.
Folayan said earlier preliminary findings, put the ghost workers at 652.
”Further screening by the committee revealed that only 362 workers out of the initial figure were clarified to be on government payroll as at June 2019.
”The committee recommends that all illegal salary so far earned by the affected workers should be deducted from their pension and gratuity.
”It also recommended that all involved should be prosecuted for fraud, along with anyone or persons identified to be their accomplices,” he said.
The commissioner said there is need for the councils’ Heads of Department to start enforcing discipline.
”They must introduce schedules of duties to their officers so that errant officers would be punished for any infraction,” he said.
Receiving the report, Gov. Fayemi expressed gratitude to members of the committee for their dedication and promised to look into the recommendations for immediate implementation.
