Gombe state Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has directed the immediate suspension of the salaries of all PHC staff who failed to physically appear before the verification committee set up by the state government to verify its workforce.
The Governor also directed that all PHC staff with non-relevant qualifications be transferred out of the agency and payroll to other departments where their qualifications are needed within their respective local government areas just as he further directed the agency and its governing council to ensure that issues of PHC staff with pending promotions across the 11 LGAs are immediately addressed.
The Governor gave all the directives when he formally received the report of the committee set up on Primary Health Care Development Agency staff verification exercise.
The Committee which was headed by the State Head of Civil Service, Alhaji Bappayo Yahaya was mandated by the Governor to ascertain the precise number of the staff on the payroll of the PHCDA as well as determine the gap in human resources to enable government plan for staff recruitment, training, welfare and resource allocation for improved healthcare services.
ALSO READ:Â TUC kicks against planned concession of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano airports
After weeks of the committee’s engagement, the report revealed that about 4,304 primary health care staff were verified across the state out of which 135 personnel were found to be absent from their duty posts when the Committee visited for the verification.
Meanwhile, the state ministry of health has disclosed that about 20 medical Doctors on government’s payroll were not at their duty posts for a very long time and in some instances for years but yet drawing monthly salaries and allowances meant for medical Doctors.
The Ministry stated that while the salaries of the said absentee medical Doctors have so far been suspended, a panel will be set up to investigate the matter with a view to probing the root cause of their absence from duty while those found wanting will be prosecuted and the salaries so far paid to them must be recovered.
A statement by Ismaila Uba Misilli, Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Governor contained that the move by the Governor was meant to sanitize the civil service and safe money for the government.
and then