Governor Hyacinth Alia.
By Charity Roberts.
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, north central Nigeria,has said that his administration has saved N1.2billion in one month after fetching out 2,500 ghost workers from government payroll.
Our correspondent reports that the committee set up by the new administration has so far discovered at least, 2,500 ghost workers in the payroll of primary and secondary schools teachers and the Local Government staff in the State.
Alia, who disclosed the development at the weekend when he reeled out his scorecard during his All Progressives Congress (APC) extraordinary stakeholders at the Government House, Makurdi, noted that the feat was achieved within the period of his assumption of office.
“The state government has saved N1.2billion from fetching out 2,500 ghost workers. Many more things are being uncovered.
“What was paid to teachers as N1. 6billion will now be N800 million,” he said.
The governor added that as he was speaking, the teachers and pensioners had began to receive their two months salaries and pensions alert.
He had earlier expressed regrets over the delay in payment of salaries of teachers in primary and secondary schools, as well as the local government staff.
Alia explained that the discovery of the ghost workers was made from the first phase of an extensive staff verification and payroll audit for all teachers and local government staff which has just been concluded.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
