By Charity Roberts
Workers in the Benue State civil service, discovered to be cutting corners or engaged in double-dipping and have been collecting multiple salaries in time past may be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for prosecution.
Tersoo Kula, Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, made the disclosure on Friday when members of Correspondents’ Chapel, led by its new Chairman, Emmanuel Antswen paid him a visit at his office in Makurdi.
Earlier, in a statement made available to journalists in Makurdi, Kula stated, “Alia has identified ghost workers, ghost schools, double-dipping, unlawful employment, salary padding, payment to dead or retired individuals, unlawful replacement, inflation of the wage bill, as some of the payroll infractions discovered from the audit.”
The CPS while speaking with members of Correspondents’ chapel of NUJ observed that during the screening exercise it was discovered that most of the workers only existed on the payrolls, adding that in some instances, it was discovered that some persons were collecting salary in three different places at a time.
Kula further explained that the Governor had to stop the payment of salaries in order to ensure that sanity was restored in the payroll system of the state as he stressed that the exercise which was still ongoing with time would expose more of those that were behind the illegality.
He added that government was making efforts to smoke out those that were behind unwholesome practices in the state civil service, just as he dared anyone whose salary has been stopped to come out publicly and make such complaints.
Kula therefore maintained that such persons (ghost workers) who were collecting salaries as senior staffs would be handed over to the EFCC for investigation and possible prosecution.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Correspondents’ chapel, Emmanuel Antswen of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) pledged the support of members of the chapel to the success of the Alia administration.
He appreciated Governor Alia for finding Kula worthy of the appointment and appealed to the CPS to ensure that he removes every impediment that would affect members of chapel from diligently carrying out their duties.
Antswen further told the CPS that members of the chapel were working in unity and in one accord, stressing that, “We (leadership) intend to carry every member along.”
Edited by Dada Ahmed.