Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has expressed deep regrets over the delay in the payment of salaries to teachers in Primary and Secondary Schools, as well as the Local Government staff. The delay was attributed to the government’s recent discovery of rampant payroll fraud and mindless padding of the wage bill.
Governor Alia stated that the decision to delay salary payments for the mentioned workers became necessary after uncovering numerous fraudulent manipulations on the government’s payroll. The primary aim of this decision was to conduct an extensive staff verification and payroll audit to clean up the system, ascertain the true wage bill of the state, and identify genuine workers deserving of their wages.
The first phase of the staff verification and payroll audit has just concluded, and the findings have been alarming. Over 2500 ghost workers were detected and subsequently removed from the payroll. These “ghost workers” were individuals who were either non-existent or unlawfully included on the government payroll.
The audit also exposed various payroll infractions, including ghost schools, double dipping (receiving salaries from multiple sources unlawfully), unlawful employment, salary padding (inflating salaries without justification), payments to deceased or retired individuals, and unlawful replacement of personnel.
Governor Alia assured the public that workers who successfully passed the verification process would receive their salaries before the end of the current week. He emphasized that the government is committed not only to identifying and removing ghost workers and fraudulent practices but also to implementing robust measures to safeguard the payroll system from future abuses.
The Governor’s revelation has sparked widespread concern and shock across the state. The government’s efforts to cleanse the payroll system and restore transparency and accountability have been met with both praise and criticism. Many residents are hopeful that the measures taken will lead to more efficient public spending and better service delivery, while others express frustration over the delayed salaries and the need for such drastic action.
As the state awaits further updates on the ongoing payroll audit, all eyes are on the government to ensure that this process is conducted with utmost diligence, fairness, and adherence to due process. Citizens remain hopeful that once the system is sanitized, the financial burden on the state will ease, and teachers and local government staff will receive their rightful dues promptly and without hindrance.
