Akwa Ibom moves to check payroll fraudsters, ghost workers

Akwa Ibom State has begun moves to check payroll fraudsters following the ongoing personnel audit intended to eliminate ghost workers from the system.

Akan Okon, commissioner for finance, who made this known in Uyo, the state capital, while addressing representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), expressed dismay that some departments had yet to comply with directives on the submission of new nominal role.

Okon expressed displeasure over reports that out of over 100 MDAs, only about 61 had so far submitted their formatted nominal roll in spite of the long notification, urging them to take the assignment seriously as this would form the fulcrum for salary payment as well as the ongoing personnel audit.

According to him, following the drastic decline in the state’s allocation from the federation account, the state government has taken steps to block fund leakages by reinforcing its war on ghost workers in order to secure funds to meet its obligations to workers.

“You must take ownership of this exercise, as government wants to ensure that when it is time to pay your salaries, there is money to pay. But if you allow the system to be porous, and money is paid to the wrong people, we may get to a stage where there will be no money to pay genuine workers,” he said.

Eme-ete Imuk, permanent secretary, ministry of finance, said government was working hard to sanitise the workforce through the verification exercise.

She urged all MDAs to submit both soft and hard copies of their Excel formatted nominal roll to facilitate the smooth conduct of the staff verification to ensure their inclusion in the new payroll system.

Some of the workers who spoke during the meeting lauded the state government for its concerted effort to bring reforms in order to sustain the public service, and pledged to support and cooperate with government to rebrand the system.

The state recently set up personnel audit committee to carry out staff verification in all government MDAs with the view to arresting cases of multiple salary collections as well as fictitious names in the payroll.