Oyo suspends payment of workers’ salaries

Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State.

Oyo State Government yesterday announced the immediate suspension of salaries of about 16,532 workers drawn from different ministries, departments and parastatals for their alleged fraudulent practices ranging from falsification of retirement age, drawing multiple salaries and using multiple bank accounts to conceal financial illegalities, among others.

Besides, it announced the setting up of a five-man staff verification panel to evaluate the case of each of the affected workers “on a one-on-one basis” within the next two weeks, after which government will formally make public the results of the Panel’s findings and recommendations.

Addressing reporters yesterday on the matter, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Olalekan, said the decision followed the outcome of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) as contained in the database of the Nigerian Interbank Settlement Systems Plc (NIBSS).

The SSG however, clarified that the 16,532 employees identified as having issues in their data would not be sacked or pronounced guilty of any financial impropriety until the final pronouncement of the Verification Panel.

Alli said 569 workers including pensioners, TESCOM employees, tertiary employees and Local Government staff were found to be drawing multiple salaries from multiple accounts while 1,277 employees who had passed retirement age are still collecting salaries on monthly basis.

“By matching our employees Bank Verification Numbers with other personnel data voluntarily supplied by all workers, the consultants were able to determine the consistency or otherwise in our staffing records,” Ali disclosed.

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