ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi –
The Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed on Tuesday said the state government has saved N500 million since it removes ghost workers from its payroll.
Governor Mohammed, disclosed this while flagging off the distribution of starter packs and cash worth N55 million to 500 selected beneficiaries, in Kafin Madaki, Ganjuwa Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday.
He said that the money saved would be used to employ the jobless youths who have not gotten what to do for the past five years.
The governor who was reacting to comments made by a members of the Bauchi House of Assembly on the irregularities in the payment of salaries in the state, admitted that it is true that some few civil servants have not been receiving their salaries regularly.
He however said: “it should be pointed out that the irregularities were, from the beginning, caused by some corrupt civil servants who, in their bid, to make quick money, resorted to the inclusion of ghost workers in the payroll.”
“There are also instances where retired officers are replaced in the payroll by their relatives without authorization. These and other malpractices perpetrated by civil servants have resulted in the increase of our wage bill in the state.
“As a government that believes in accountability and transparency, we cannot fold our hands and watch public funds being syphoned by some unscrupulous persons.
“We have therefore, taken necessary measures to restore sanity into the payroll of salaries in the state with a view to making sure that we free resources. I am happy to inform you that with the measures that we have put in place, the irregularities in the payment of salaries of civil servants will soon be history.
“I have been reliably informed that so far, we have saved over N500 million which is already set aside and we are going to use our personnel budget to make sure that we employ at the end of this year.”
Governor Mohammed apologized to the civil servants who have been “unduly subjected to hardships” due to the inadvertent ommission in the payroll for some months.
The governor said: “Where we made some savings, we are keeping them and we promise the people of Bauchi that together with our assembly members, that we we will soon start employing young Nigerians in Bauchi so that that the period of darkness where we are not able to be employing will be a thing of the past”.
“I want to assure the people of Bauchi that our government is irrevocably committed to the upliftment of their condition of service through the empowerment intervention and regular payment of salaries and allowances.”
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