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Tony John, Port Harcourt
Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Solomon Eke, has said his administration is confronted with ‘mind-boggling payroll fraud’, which included dead workers, who still receive monthly salaries from the council.
Eke stated this, yesterday, in his scorecard at the Obio/Akpor Council chambers, Rumuodomaya, to mark his administration’s first year in office.
He said the challenge meant that the council’s monthly allocation hovering between N180 million and N190 million is gulped by salaries within same range.
He said: “We practically cannot take up any serious activity because of the huge wage bill.
“This situation prompted the ongoing staff audit and verification in the council.
“This is the puzzle the special verification committee will help unravel.
“We are already having some mind-boggling revelations. Imagine, we have a lot of ghost workers on the payroll. Some dead workers are still receiving salaries.
“Some people are taking double salaries, some likely receiving salaries above their grade levels. We expect the audit exercise to clean up the mess.”
