The Kogi State Auditor General, Alhaji Yusufu Okala, has said that the
state lost a colossal amount of money, approximately
N213,034,857,280.44, to a category of entities he called “Ghost
Workers/Unintended Beneficiaries.”
The Auditor stated this when the Staff Screening & Validation
Committee, jointly led by the himself and the Auditor General of the
Local Governments Areas, Mallam Usman Ahmed Ododo, submitted their
report to the State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, at a Stakeholders
Forum held in Government House, Lokoja, Monday, July 25th 2016. This
committee was set up by the Governor with the mandate to review and
authenticate the report earlier submitted by the Staff Screening and
Verification Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. Jerry Agbaji.
According to Alhaji Okala, “As at the time of inaugurating the Staff
Screening and Verification Committee on February 22, 2016, the total
staff on the nominal payroll of the State (State MDAs and Local
Governments) was 88, 973 with monthly wage bill of N 5,809,578,703.72.
However, after the conclusion of this exercise on July 24, 2016, the
cleared and validated workforce is 63, 870.”
Gov. Bello lamented the colossal loss recorded by the state through the
syndrome, said his administration has put a permanent stop to financial
theft in the state. The Governor said the screening exercise is the
first layer of civil service reform, which his administration is
embarking on, adding that he is determined to re-position the State
Civil Service to play a vital role of facilitating economic drive growth
in the state.
The State Auditor General, who presented the report before the large
turn out at the forum, said, his committee, which had the State
Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Idris Ashiru Asiwaju and the State
Accountant General Alhaji Jibrin Momoh, made certain recommendations to
the Governor. These recommedations include the Computerising the Payroll
System of the State, Local Government workforce& Pensioners,
Centralising Payroll Processing, Biometric for All State& Local
Governments Staff, and Introduction of PreDisbursement Audit for Salary
Payment among other recommendations.
Meanwhile, Governor has set up a review Committee to entertain complains
that may arise from the screening exercise. The 11-man committee โis
expected to submit its report within 21 days.
