. To Fish Out Retired Staff Who Refused To Go.
By Okey Alozie
One of decisions taken at the crucial State Executive Council meeting held on Wednesday September 8, 2022 at Imo Government House Owerri is to fish out those who are dead, retired or ascended from duty but yet their names still appear in the payroll of Imo Civil Service.
The members of Imo Executive Council while deliberating on the matter mentioned above raised eyesbrow and directed that staff audit should be conducted at all government establishments to ascertain the true number of Imo workers.
It was observed that Imo wage bill has become so outrageous and unacceptable.
The increase in the wage bill as we gathered came as a result of alleged sharp practices by workers in the Ministries, Parastatals and Government Agencies.
It was serious alleged that padding of salaries, labour force and other corrupt practices now take place both in the high and low places of Imo civil service.
It was shockingly revealed that many have retired yet they are still working and receiving salary.
A good number of Permanent Secretaries and Directors who were alleged to have retired since two years now are still in office.
It would be recalled that Trumpeta Newspaper reported on this recently and Government looked into the report and considered it necessary as a matter of urgency to go into staff audit.
Imo workers from all indication will undergo fresh verification exercise, annual Biometric capturing and submission of their personal data and any worker who refuses to comply with the directive will have him or herself to blame.
Trumpeta was told that fraud still reigns in the system despite all the strict measures adopted the Uzodinma government.
It was learnt that the problem the automation was set out to solve seems to be creeping back because at the end of every month, workers just receive salaries and nobody checkmate them again.
People even travel abroad and still be collecting their salaries without problem Trumpeta learnt. For this major reason, the State Government wants a fresh audit on staff to be physical. Therefore, all workers must be present on the day of staff auditing and no excuse will be accepted at all.
It is most likely that the Government will prosecute any worker or pensioner discovered to part of any form of fraud in the system.
Trumpeta was informed that the workers whose hands are not clean have started panicking and now gripped with fear and anxiety.
