FG uncovers new 5,000 ghost workers — Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osibajo has said that an additional 5,000 ghost workers have been uncovered in the on-going daily weeding of ghost workers in the federal public civil service.

He made the disclosure at the 80th Tabieorar festival of the Church of the Lord Prayer Fellowship Worldwide held at the Mount Tabieorar Ground, Ogere Remo along Lagos-Ibadan expressway .

It will be recalled that the government had before the fresh discovery told Nigerians that about 35,000 ghost workers were fished out following the full implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

He said, “for instance, government has introduced major fiscal measures to save our nation’s hard earned income. Also , government is daily weeding out public sector ghost workers – over 40,000 already and counting from the federal payroll. Before now, salaries collected by ghost workers on a monthly basis ran into billions of naira that could have been profitably used for the public good. We have cut down and are still cutting down on frivolous expenditures”.

The annual spiritual programme which attracted dignitaries from within and outside Nigeria started from 4pm on Monday and ended on 5am on Tuesday with over 10,000 members in attendance.

The Vice President, who was represented by the Chaplain of the Aso Rock Villa, Pastor Seyi Malomo,  while re-affirming that the current administration inherited a badly managed economy, high level insecurity and corrosive corruption, said the present government has already started tackling the challenges without fear.

He said what the presidency has done is  re-laying the foundation to take Nigeria back to glory, pleading with Nigerians to bear with the government in this trial period as there would be light after the dark tunnel.

The Vice President also explained that the government has returned to sustainable economic development with focus on agriculture, adding that the initiative would address the unemployment situation among the teeming youth.

” We are gradually diversifying the economy by exploring alternative revenue options particularly in the solid and natural mineral sector of the economy. Recently, we untied the legal knot that had kept a major economic sector comatose for years. As a result we should see results from resuscitation of Nigerian Iron Mining Company, Itakpe, and the Ajaokuta Steel, Kogi “, he said.

He further appealed to Nigerians to endure the current challenges , stating that the President and himself shared their pains, assuring that full restoration shall be seen very soon.

The Primate of the Church of the Lord, Most Rev. (Dr.) Rufus Okikiola Ositelu,  called for the