Benue discovers 3, 460 ghost workers on payroll of LGs

The Benue state Local Government Service Commission has uncovered 1, 349 ghost workers on the payroll of the 23 local government areas in the state.

Submitting the staff verification report to Governor Samuel Ortom at the Government House, Makurdi on Monday, the Chairman of the commission, Dr. Bem Melladu also said based on the exercise, it was established that the monthly salary for staff in the 23 councils stood at N865, 756, 681.00.

“The difference between the number of regular staff submitted to the commission by local government councils and the number verified by the commission is 1,349.

“On the other hand, the difference between the number of staff not captured on the payroll and the actual number verified by the commission is 2, 111,” he stated.

According to the commission’s chairman, the N865, 756, 681.00 verified wage bill does not include the salary of traditional rulers and local government council members who are expected to come into office in April.

He said the commission has confirmed the padding of salaries in various ways among local government councils and has taken measures to stem the tide, pointing out that the manipulation of retirement dates of some council staff was noticed during the verification exercise.

The verification committee according to its findings, further discovered that absenteeism was prevalent as some staff living elsewhere, but drawing salaries from the local government where they claim to be working while names of deceased staff are being retained on the payroll under the pretext that gratuity is never paid in time.

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Melladu expressed worry that hundreds of staff have either died or retired from service, yet their salary is still stagnant and called in the governor to intensify monitoring the activities of stakeholders involved in payment of staff at the third tier of government.

“Here, I’m making reference to the bureau of local government and chieftaincy affairs and the office of the auditor – general for local governments,” he added.

Receiving the report, Gov. Ortom commended the detailed work done by the committee and pledged to forward the report to the state executive council for deliberation and implementation.