No fewer than Twenty Thousand (20,000) ghost workers exist on the pay vouchers of the Twenty-Three (23) local councils in Rivers State, our investigations revealed.
The past local government chairmen had committed unpardonable blunder in handling the affairs of their respective councils.
Based on the political patronages, names were smuggled into councils vouchers thereby siphoning funds meant for the developing of the council areas into their private bank accounts.
Reliable sources hinted this publication that mismanagement and corruption had eaten deep into the fabrics of the Rivers councils.
Sequel to this negative development billions of naira are missing from the councils confers and treasuries on monthly basis. As a result of this ugly trend viable projects are absence in the rural communities, thereby subjecting the rural dwellers into abject poverty.
The new Local Government Caretaker Committee Chairmen of the various councils have constituted personnel verification committee to as certain the real numbers of staff in their councils.
In some LGAs the verification exercise has commenced, while in other council areas, the staff union popularly known as the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) vehemently opposed the exercise, insisting that the LGAs’ workers should be paid the June salary first before any other thing.
In Emohua, the NULGE chairman ordered his members not to participate in the ongoing personnel verification exercise describing it as a wasteful ventures. However, a CTC chairman in one of the Ikwerre speaking LGAs told our correspondent that the exercise is not to witch hunt anybody, but to sanitize the council administration.
“If you are properly employed, there is nothing to fear, except those who entered the councils through the back doors”, the CTC chairman said.
Our correspondent reports that during the verification exercise staff are mandated to present the following documents: letter of appointment, letter of confirmation, letter of last promotion, local government identification letter and age declaration.
Meanwhile, social commentators and political pundits are divided over the ongoing verification exercise. Some are in support while others kick against it.
A Director in civil service told our reporter that the exercise will flush out ghost workers. ###
