The Enugu State Government has commenced a comprehensive audit of staff in the 17 local government areas in the state in a bid to fish out ghost workers.
The exercise commenced in two of the local councils – Igboeze South and Igboeze North – on Friday.
Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, ordered the verification, shortly after he assumed office, following indications that the presence of a large number of ghost workers was among the reasons the councils found it difficult to pay salaries.
Speaking during the exercise, at the secretariat of the Igboeze North Local Government Area, Chairman of the Local Government Audit Committee, and Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Edward Ubosi, stressed the need for all genuine workers to turn out for the verification.
He also expressed satisfaction at the large turnout recorded at the commencement of the exercise.
“I sincerely commend local government workers in Igboeze North for coming out in large numbers and for their maturity in complying with government directives,” he said.
Explaining the procedure adopted by the committee, the Speaker said every worker is required to produce the original copy of the first appointment letter, and other relevant documents including confirmation letter, declaration of age and voter card.
The workers are also expected to state their expected due retirement date.
Those verified so far include primary school teachers, local government staff and pensioners.
The 11-man audit committee, set up to carry out the exercise, was mandated “to ascertain the real staff strengths of the local councils to track down possible ghost workers, as well as make inquisition into the factors that make it impossible for some of the councils to pay staff salaries.”
The committee was also directed to “determine the financial implication of the staff in respect of monthly salaries of each local government council, Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board and Pension Board.”
The audit committee was equally instructed to ascertain the outstanding salaries and allowances of each local government council, ESUBEB, Local Government Service Commission, as well as the local government pension board.
In the same vein, the committee is to ascertain and verify the total number of primary school teachers in each of the local government councils, as well as the total number of pensioners on the payroll of the pension board.
The governor also mandated the committee to determine the total sum of outstanding gratuities owed to retirees in the concerned establishments.
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