Bayelsa government official arrested for reportedly collecting salaries of 300 ghost workers
- An accountant in one of the local government areas of Bayelsa state has been arrested for allegedly carrying out salary fraud
- The state commissioner for information, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, says the suspect had been allegedly carrying out the fraud for many years before he was discovered
A local government official in Beyelsa state has been arrested for reportedly collecting the salaries of 300 persons as his wages every month.
The Nation reports that the state commissioner for information and orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, disclosed on Monday, June 11, that the alleged fraud was uncovered following the ongoing public sector reforms in the state.
The commissioner said the suspect who was an accountant in one of the local government areas at the central senatorial district had been allegedly carrying out the fraud for many years before he was caught.
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Iworiso-Markson said the suspect worked for at the Yenagoa, Southern Ijaw and Kolokuma-Opokuma local councils and had reportedly defrauded the council of hundreds of millions of naira before Dickson’s reforms caught up with him.
The alleged fraudulent local government worker was accused of acquiring choice houses, estates and parcels of land across the state.
The commissioner said: “Recently, Governor Seriake Dickson had to order the arrest of an official of a council. He (the official) was collecting salaries of 300 people. Yearly, the officer fraudulently receives hundreds of millions of naira.
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“That is in just one LGA and there are many places like that in the state. Some people are employed in civil service today, yet there is no document in their files. Instead, they were employed with affidavit.”
Meanwhile, the minister of labour and employment Chris Ngige said President Muhammadu Buhari is interested in the welfare of Nigerian workers and that will enhance their salary in the year 2018.
Ngige who made this known in a chat with journalists at Ifitedunu, Dunukofia local government area of Anambra state, said a national tripartite committee set up by President Buhari on minimum wage had commenced work.
He also said the committee would work to come out with an acceptable minimum wage, saying that the Nigerian Governors Forum, representatives of the Nigerian workers, and the Nigerian Employers Consultative Assembly make up the committee.
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Source: Legit.ng
