Salary padding: Benue to drag senior civil servants to EFCC

Some Senior Civil Servants recently found in salary padding in Benue State will soon be dragged to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for further investigation and prosecution.

The State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia stated this on Friday through his media aide, Kula Tersoo when he received members of the Correspondents’ Chapel in the state, led by its Chairman, Emmanuel Antswen in his office.

It will be recalled that the state government had on Thursday disclosed that about 2,500 ghost workers were uncovered during the ongoing staff audit in the state.

Other anomalies found, according to the statement issued by Tersoo were ghost schools, double-dipping, unlawful employment, salary padding, and payment to dead and retired individuals, among other infractions.

Tersoo in a chat with members of correspondents in his office said that probity, accountability and transparency were the hallmark of the present administration and told the public not to be taken aback when the anti-graft agency starts inviting some high-ranking civil servants in the state for questioning.

He added the ongoing staff audit exposed some of the workers only existed on the payrolls while many others, especially the senior civil servants were collecting salary in three different places at the same time from the state government, the local government and at the State Universal Basic Education Board.

“We already know some of them and they have been removed from the entire payroll. We are waiting for them to report that they have not been paid.”

“Those who were collecting double salary as senior staff will be handed over to the EFCC for investigation and possible prosecution,” Tersoo said.

He stated that the staff audit was still ongoing, the media aide expressed optimism that the ongoing exercise will expose more people behind the racketeering in the civil service and added that perpetrators would be made to answer for their crimes.

Earlier, the Chairman of Correspondents’ chapel, Emmanuel Antswen, had congratulated the CPS on his appointment and pledged the support of members of the chapel to the success of the Alia’s administration.