362 ghost workers received N20m monthly –Ekiti govt

The Ekiti State Government on Wednesday said it had uncovered the payment of N20 million monthly as salary for 362 ghost workers in Local Governments.

The Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development, Prof. Adio Folayan, disclosed this while presenting a State Staff Verification Committee report to Gov. Kayode Fayemi in Ado Ekiti.

The state government had set up the committee to audit the local government staff towards identifying those who are genuine or fake workers.

Folayan said: ”Further screening by the committee revealed that only 362 workers out of the initial figure were clarified to be on the government payroll as of June 2019.

Read also: Bauchi govt loses N1.062bn to ghost workers, fake pensioners

”The committee recommends that all illegal salaries 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 also emphasised on the need for the councils’ Heads of the 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.

Governor Fayemi, after receiving the report, expressed gratitude to members of the committee for their dedication and promised to look into the recommendations for immediate implementation.

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