Kogi Lost N213b To Ghost Workers In 13 Years

Yahaya Bello Is Creating More Damages Than Necessary - Wada

Kogi State Government has revealed that the state lost over N213 billion to ghost workers in 13 years.

According to report by a screening committee, the breakdown of the report indicated the government was losing N16 billion yearly and N1.3 billion monthly to ghost workers and unintended beneficiaries.

Chairman of the back-up committee for the analysis of the screening, Mr. Yusuf Okala, explained that about 88, 973 people were on the payroll as at the time the screening exercise commenced and had a monthly wage bill of N5.84 billion.

The Auditor General said the committee screened workers in state ministries, departments and agencies, local government departments, local government education authorities, state and local government pensions board. He said upon the conclusion of the screening exercise 63, 870 workers were cleared, reducing the wage bill to N4. 443 billion

Okala explained that the screening exercise revealed that there were irregularities in the state civil service, with 532 employments hurriedly made in January before the inception of the present administration, while 114 were drawing salaries in more than two paying points and 119 were found to have invalid bank verification numbers (BVN).

He noted that the exercise was not completely perfect as there was infiltration by the organised labour, which intended to embarrass the state government. He said the committee recommended the prosecution of those found culpable in the looting of the state through the ghost workers scam.

Governor Yahaya Bello pledged to put an end to ghost workers in state saying, it was sad that some people were hiding under the civil service to plunder the wealth of the state. He also pledged to ensure that all the funds of the state that were carted away would be recovered.

 

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