Abakaliki, Ebonyi state – Some workers who died in 2009 are still drawing salaries from local government coffers in Ebonyi state.
Chinedu Uburu, chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Ebonyi, said the issue was uncovered during the ongoing verification exercise at the various LGAs.
Uburu made this known when executives of the Ebonyi chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) paid him a courtesy visit in Abakaliki on Monday, February 3, 2025.
As reported by TheCable, he lamented over LG’s inability to pay salaries following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led federal government’s minimum wage increment.
The ALGON chairman urged those who are yet to receive their payments to be patient.
“The verification exercise is not targeted at anyone. Workers don’t realise that council chairmen are trying to help them,”
“Last year, the president signed the minimum wage bill into law, and with the current number of staff, we can’t even pay salaries.”
Legit.ng also reported that the Jigawa state government uncovered 6,348 ghost workers during a staff verification exercise, resulting in monthly savings of over N314 million.
The discovery was part of the Statewide Staff Audit Biometric Data Capture and Validation Exercise.
Commissioner Sagir Musa announced the establishment of a Continuous Capture Centre to expedite the data capture and validation process.
Tinubu takes action against absentee civil servants
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that President Bola Tinubu mandated that any civil servant discovered receiving government salaries while residing abroad must reimburse the funds.
Tinubu also directed disciplinary measures against supervisors and department heads implicated in facilitating this fraudulent activity.
