N1.8b recovered from payroll fraud, says Bayelsa government

•NLC lauds Aregbesola over workers’ welfare

Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has disclosed the recovery of N1.8 billion from payroll fraud.He said the regaining was due to the recommendations by the state’s public reforms committee.

The governor, in a broadcast on the state-owned radio and television stations, said the reforms were not aimed at sacking workers, but to lay solid foundation for incoming governments.He said: “I have been raising the issue of indiscipline, and unsustainable wage bill from 2012 till now. We have embarked on measures, and verification exercises to reposition the public service.

“In 2012, the state’s wage bill was over N5 billion, while the councils’ own was about N1.8 billion. But, now, the state has dropped to N3.7billion, and the councils to N1.1billion.”He said the state is largely dependent on federal allocation, adding that its payroll is like the Nigeria voters’ register, which has the dead, ancestors and kids in it.

Dickson expressed concern that the state has over 400, 000 workers running promotion, and earning salaries without going to work.Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress, Osun State chapter, has commended Governor Rauf Aregbesola for his welfare for workers in the state.The Chairman of NLC, Jacob Adekomi, said the governor has surpassed the expectation of the workers in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) he signed with them last year.

“It is on record that the state, under the leadership of Aregbesola has not only prioritised workers’ welfare, but placed ‎their interest at the front-burner.In his remarks, the governor said his creation of the offices of Headmasters-General and Tutors-General was to promote quality and functional education.