Bayelsa: 50 dead teachers still receive salaries

Fifty dead teachers in Ogbia Local Government Education Authority are still on Bayelsa State Government’s payroll, an inquiry has discovered.
A payroll fraud in the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), with over 765 illegally employed teachers in the eight local government areas was also uncovered.
Executive Secretary of SUBEB, Walton Liverpool disclosed this to newsmen  in Yenagoa yesterday.
Liverpool said with the latest discovery, by the time the exercise is concluded, the government will be saving over N100 million monthly.
He said the discovery cut across the eight local government areas with Ogbia Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) leading with 230 illegal employees.
Others are: Southern Ijaw LGEA, 192; Sagbama LGEA, 136; Ekeremor LGEA, 108; Brass LGEA, 9; Nembe LGEA, 25; Yenagoa LGEA, 25 and Kolokuma/Opokuma LGEA, 40.
He said: “These workers were illegally employed by fraudsters and are now parading as civil servants.
“As you are all aware, since the inception of the present administration, an embargo was placed on fresh employment, but, some people went behind to employ their cronies and backdated it to 2007. After going through the 2007 nominal roll and vouchers, with the recent ones, it was discovered that over 765 names had been infused. This has been the practice of some unscrupulous officers in the local government education authorities. Some of the affected workers are being aided by the LEA staff. As I am talking to you now, one of them is cooling off at the State Criminal Investigations Department and more would still be arrested.”
On the issue of ghost workers, the executive secretary added that the fraudsters will parade some people that will bear those names and present sworn affidavits for their date of birth, change of names and certificates.
“It will interest you to know that there are some people on the payroll that are residing in Lagos, Abuja and even Ghana and are drawing salaries in Bayelsa. I am not exaggerating, it is happening!
“By the time we conclude this exercise, more names will be discovered. I have my facts; those perpetrating the atrocities are not from the Board headquarters but from the LGEAs. With this discovery, the state government has been able to save N100 million from SUBEB alone.
“At the end of the exercise, the state government will save over N100 million from the education sector. As you are all aware, the state governor has directed all headmasters and principals to prepare their monthly vouchers.”