Delta State uncovers 185 deceased, 45 ghost workers on payroll

The Delta State government yesterday said that deceased workers whose names were supposed to have been deleted from service records have been uncovered on its payroll.

Chairman of the state Civil Service Commission, Patience Ikem Okwuofu, confirmed the development in Asaba during an interactive session with civil servants at the office of Head of Service (HoS).

She lamented that in spite of the state government’s efforts to ensure that the number of employees was not inflated and weed out ghost and absentee workers, it was shocking to still uncover no fewer than 185 dead workers and 45 ghost workers on government’s payroll.

She said the office of the Head of Service still needed to do more to ensure that the civil service thrived on credibility, adding that the state workers have not been promoted in the last five years state.

She, however, said her office recently concluded the 2016 promotion exercise for workers.“It is sad to know that dead workers are still on the state government’s payroll, and 18 ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) have so far failed to summit their briefs, which is why the interviews for civil servants was suspended,” she said.

Okwuofu, expressed anger at the records of most civil servants who ought to have retired but falsified their ages, changed dates and other records.“We have also uncovered forged degrees but we recently promoted 189 and dropped three officers whose appointments were not confirmed, and were promoted to levels 13, 16 respectively,” she added.

According to her, the commission also uncovered 45 workers who earn double salaries, especially those in the rural areas, warning that although the state government was committed to the welfare of workers, would ensure those fingered in the act are punished accordingly.

She, however, called for whistle blowing method with a view to exposing cheats among the state work force. “We need whistle blowers to help us uncover the fraudsters among the civil servants. We will pay any worker who provides useful information and keep the identity of the whistle blowers,” she added.

Earlier, the State Head of Service (HoS), Reginald Bayoko who commended Okwuofu, said his office was willing to support her course in ensuring discipline in the civil service.

His words: “Discipline may not be necessarily imposed, but self discipline will help workers to grow in the civil service.” He urged the civil servants to be hard working and honest, adding no government can succeed without the input of the civil servants.

Meanwhile, the state government has described rumours that it released N500 million to the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) to pay contractors and run its affairs as unfounded.

It explained that the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa administration released N1.6 billion to the commission in July 2017 to pursue the development of the oil-bearing communities.

A statement issued by the Media Assistant to the Commissioner for Information, Sam Ijeh, in Asaba yesterday, said the rumour peddlers were ignorant and wicked persons bent on causing disaffection and destroying the peace in the state.