Akeredolu orders immediate dismissal of civil servants for receiving double salaries

The Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, has ordered the immediate dismissal of some civil servants in the state for collecting double salaries from the government.

The Governor gave the order after receiving a report of a committee set up for the verification, scrutinization and clean up of the state’s payroll, salaries and pension headed by a retired Permanent Secretary in the state, Victor Anjorin, on Wednesday.

The affected civil servants said to be over 9,000, were screened last year for alleged age falsification, alteration of documents and employment racketeering after it was discovered that the state wage bill kept increasing.

While expressing his dismay at the act perpetrated by the staff, Akeredolu directed all ministries, departments and parastatals in the state to stop recruitment under any guise until the salary verification committee had concluded its assignment.

“We have over-bloated workforce, and undoubtedly, I am sure there are many ghost workers. Those who are receiving double salaries, apart from recovering the money from them, I am directing the Head of Service to get them dismissed. They must serve as deterrent to others,” he said.

The Chairman of the committee, Olajorin, explained that the committee had beamed its searchlight on government parastatals including the Teaching Service Commission, Hospitals’ Management Board and Local Government Service Commission among others.

Read also: Akeredolu urges Nigerian govt to revisit demand for state police

“Our beam light was initially focused on TESCOM and some of the infractions detected were about: officers/pensioners receiving both salary/pension, retired officers later reappointed and drawing salary/pension, officers whose salaries are hanging among others.

“The exercise led to the discovery of some unwholesome practice like abscondment, study leave without pay, payment of salaries to officers after resignation, while some officers couldn’t be traced to any health facilities.

“So far, a sum of N192,873,592 has been discovered from HMB as the total loss to the State Government. Mr. Governor permit me to mention that the Committee has so far, identified the sum of N497,733,404 for infractions in TESCOM and HMB,” Olajorin said.

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