Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Benue State Government has said it has uncovered about 3,460 ghost workers currently on the payroll of 23 local government areas.
Chairman, Local Government Service Commission, Dr. Bem Melladu, disclosed this, yesterday, when he presented the commission’s report to Governor Samuel Ortom at Government House, Makurdi
He noted that out of about 18,426 employees, only 14,966 turned up for the verification as demanded by the government.
Melladu said during the verification, names of deceased staff were found to have been included on the payroll,
The chairman also alleged salary padding, redundancy as well as falsification of retirement dates among other fraudulent practices were uncovered during the verification of the local government workers.
Melladu assured that with the exercise, the huge wage bill of local governments in the state would be cut down even as more funds would be made available for projects.
He also recommended that prompt action be taken to sanitise the local council system.
Ortom, who lamented the decay in the local government system, assured that the State Executive Council would deliberate on the local government Service commission’s report in its next meeting.