Ekiti State is losing N19.3 million every month to ghost workers in the local government system, the Committee on Local Government Staff Verification set up by the state government has revealed.
The amount represents salaries and emoluments drawn monthly by 362 ghost workers discovered in the just concluded verification exercise.
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The state government had earlier in the year set up an 11-member committee and a seven-member sub-committee to investigate the issue of ghost workers in a bid to block financial loopholes in the local government system.
A co-chairman of the committee and Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Prof. Adio Folayan, who spoke on behalf of the committee, disclosed that the 362 absentees (workers) were discovered on the payroll of the local government service after thorough screening and verification.
Gov. Kayode Fayemi, while thanking the committee for the professional manner it handled the exercise, promised to study the report, as well as the recommendations.
He said the bulk of the money which accrued to the state’s coffers went into payment of salaries and emoluments, adding that government had to look for creative ways to ensure provision of amenities such as good roads, improved education system, better healthcare services, safe environment and empowerment.
The governor further said the money recovered into the state’s coffers from the ghost workers would be used to attend to government’s obligation to workers in the state.
He said, “After this exercise, the committee said they saved N19.2m on a monthly basis; imagine where that will go’’.
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