TheCable

The Sokoto state government says it has discovered at least 12,915 ghost workers whose names were added into the payroll of the 23 local government areas of the state.

Mannir Dan-Iya, commissioner for local governments and community development, disclosed this at a media briefing on Thursday.

“The ministry, through the monitoring department and other stakeholders has concluded a local government junior staff verification of about 58,143 workers, comprising of scheduled and unscheduled staff,” he said.

“The verification exercise has yielded a fruitful result, whereby about 12, 915 staff, comprising of seat-at-home and ghost workers were fished out of the local governments staff payrolls.

“The state government has also saved over N319 million from the exercise, hence, it was a huge success.”

Dan-Iya added that the ministry is planning to conduct a similar verification exercise of senior staff whose salaries are paid through their respective bank accounts.

He also revealed that the ministry and the local governments service commission were collaborating to sanitize the payrolls of the local governments.

“Any official of the local governments or the ministry found to be wanting in this direction would be duly sanctioned,” he said.

“The ministry and the commission have beamed their searchlights on the various Departments of the 23 local governments, as well as the ministry, and anyone indicted would be sanctioned.”