Abia State Exposes 2,300 Ghost Workers, Saves Over N220m Monthly on Payroll

The Abia State Government uncovers a staggering 2,300 ghost workers in its payroll system, resulting in savings of over N220 million on the monthly wage bill. The state’s diligent verification process of civil servants led to the detection and removal of these fictitious employees.

Deaconess Njum Onyemenam, the Accountant General of Abia State, made the announcement in Umuahia, the state capital, during a meeting with Governor Dr. Alex Otti on Monday. Onyemenam emphasized that the verification exercise is still ongoing, indicating the possibility of further discoveries.

“Our ongoing worker verification efforts across the state, local governments, and pensioners have already saved us N220 million,” stated Onyemenam. “Through the utilization of the unified payment system, we have successfully eliminated a significant number of ghost workers from the payroll. We remain committed to identifying more as we proceed with the exercise.”

Onyemenam confirmed that in compliance with the governor’s recent directive, outstanding April salaries from the previous administration would be paid to the workers, alongside June pensions for retirees.

Furthermore, she revealed that local government employees who had not received their June salaries due to their failure to submit verified payment schedules can expect to receive their overdue salaries this week.