A team of audit committee in the state comprising state lawmakers permanent secretaries, finance directors and some government appointees have uncovered fraud and corrupt practices in some local government areas in the course of carrying out workers verification exercise.
During the exercise at some LGAs last Tuesday, a lot of Ghost workers, falsification of age, improper promotion, and nonchalant attitude were discovered among the workers.
It was also discovered that Youth Must Work programme is not functional in some local government areas of the state asthere were certainly no job schedules for the beneficiaries . “They only come to work on the day of payment of salaries” a security man revealed. While at Ikeduru local government area, it was discovered that the number of beneficiaries of youth must work pogramme is 100 against 108. Two of the beneficiaries receive salaries with the same identity.
The audit committee head Dr (Mrs) Uche Ejiogu the former Education Commissioner and the House member representing Ihite Uboma LGA at the Imo State Assembly who spoke to journalists during the verification exercise at the LGAs hinted that the Government is paying high wage bills as a result of ghost workers and ghost pensioners. She frowned at the workers who falsify their ages in order to stay long in service. She also blasted the Health workers and youth must work beneficiaries for not taking their jobs very seriously adding that corruption among the workers must stop without delay. She condemned in strong terms the idea of using fake names to collect salaries as she warned that anybody caught after this exercise will have him or her self to blame.
She regretted why the beneficiaries of youth must work program will be receiving salaries without doing any work at the local government.
“The beneficiaries cannot even help to clean the dirty environment and offices” she said.
Promotion of workers in some LGAs were like Christmas gifts as some of those who were employed in 2006 got promoted above their mates. Investigation revealed that the rapid promotion were not by merit.
Report also revealed that drivers, messengers and clerical officer that are above 75yrs of age are still working.
Concluding her briefing, Dr Ejiogu on how to curb the high wage bills advised government to set a task force that will monitor the payment of salaries to workers from now on as with the arrangement, “All the fraud stars will be discovered’.
