Over 2,300 ghost workers have been yanked off the payroll of the Abia State Government, Kazie Uko, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Alex Otti said.
Uko added that the state saved over N200 million on the monthly wage bill, following the ongoing verification of civil servants and other public workers.
The governor’s aide quoted the state Accountant General, Njum Onyemenam, saying the saving was made using a unified payment system.
Additionally, Onyemenam confirmed that workers had received the payment of April salaries as well as June pensions to retirees.
Onyemenam, who spoke Monday after a meeting with the state Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, said the verification exercise was still ongoing and that the government hopes to make more savings.
“So far, we have been able to save N220 million from the ongoing verification of workers in the state, local governments and pensioners.
“Not less than 2,300 ghost names have been weeded out of the payrolls, using the unified payment system and we hope to still identify more as we continue with the exercise,” the Accountant General said.
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Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command has intercepted substances suspected to be Indian hemp worth N13m from two men along Mushin, Isolo Road in the Isolo area of Lagos State.
According to a statement on Monday by the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the illicit drugs were conveyed by Fidelis Otiga, 49 and Chukwuma Kennedy, 50, in a Toyota Sienna car with number plate KJA 118 HV last Wednesday.
He said the items were recovered at midnight when they were stopped by policemen from the Aswani Police Division during a routine stop-and-search on the road.
The statement read in part, “The interception occurred on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, around 11.56pm during a routine stop-and-search, leading to the arrest of Fidelis Otiga and Chukwuma Kennedy aged 49 and 50 respectively, in whose vehicle the drugs were found.
“The illicit drugs with a street value of N13m were being conveyed in a Toyota Sienna car with number plate KJA 118 HV.
“The suspects and exhibit have since been transferred to the command headquarters for further investigation and prosecution.”
The statement quoted the state Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, as reiterating his commitment to fighting drug misuse and abuse in the state while assuring residents of their safety.