No fewer than 2,500 ghost employees have been found on the payroll of native governments in Benue State.
There are 23 native governments within the nation.
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, disclosed this in a media assertion issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, made accessible to newsmen in Makurdi on Thursday.
The governor, who cited the explanations for the delay in salaries of lecturers in major and post-primary faculties, in addition to native authorities employees, mentioned there’s a must rehabilitate and clear up all of the manipulations achieved by the earlier administration.
Alia defined that an investigation into the actions of the native authorities over the past administration revealed senseless wage padding and payroll manipulation.
The assertion learn in components: “The governor says that the choice to delay the fee of salaries to the aforementioned employees was made after the federal government found senseless payroll padding and different fraudulent manipulations on their payrolls.
“He says the choice grew to become obligatory after the revelations, to allow the federal government to rehabilitate and clear up the payroll; decide the true mass of wages within the nation and know the true employees who’re price their wages.
“It reveals that the primary section of an in depth employees examine and payroll audit for all lecturers and native authorities employees has simply been accomplished and has already uncovered over 2,500 bogus employees who’ve already been taken off the payroll.
“It identifies ghost employees, ghost faculties, double dipping, unlawful employment, wage will increase, funds to lifeless or retired individuals, unlawful substitution and wage inflation as a number of the payroll violations uncovered by the audit.
“He assures that employees who’ve been efficiently vetted will obtain their wages earlier than the tip of this week, noting that the federal government is just not solely searching down ghost employees and eradicating the underpinnings related to payroll fraud, however can also be taking measures to make sure programs are future-proof.”
Alia has suspended 23 native authorities chairmen to pave the way in which for an intensive investigation into alleged maladministration within the council areas by the state meeting.