BAYELSA State Government has expressed appreciation to teachers in the state for their co-operation during the on-going verification exercise just as it decried the activities of ghost workers on its payroll.
The verification, it also said, was responsible for delay in the payment of the teachers, but would now start after the exercise.
In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Serena-Dokubo Spiff, the government said that it has already released funds to start payment of teachers’ salaries. Payment of salaries will, however, be done upon due verification of identity and status of every teacher.
He said that there were discrepancies and actual fraudulent activity in the payroll of the educational system in the state.
The statement noted, for instance, that while salary vouchers presented to government on the basis of which funds for salary payment were approved and released are for a given amount, actual alerts received by the teachers are for lesser amounts.
Other instances, he said, were cases of ghost schools, ghost teachers, fraudulent increment and fraudulent designation of status/grade level, which the government claimed suggested criminal activity or intervention in the payment scheme.
The government, therefore, enjoined genuine teachers and other civil servants to help in uncovering such fraudulent activities, which was cited as the main cause of salary delay.
“It indicates that some persons with criminal intention are short-changing the system to the detriment of the state and those of honest, genuine teachers in the state. Members of the teaching staff who may be victims of the activities of these criminal gangs are advised to bring same to the attention of the authorities,” Dokubo-Spiff stated.
He restated the government’s committed to meet its obligations to teachers as soon as this evil practice is rooted out and funds available for the purpose.