Ondo sacks 51 ghost workers in its workforce ― HoS
by Rasheed Sobowale
Dayo Johnson – Akure
Fifty-one ghost workers have been discovered by the Ondo state government during the last verification exercise carried out to ascertain the workforce.
Head of Service (HoS), Dare Aragbaiye stated this while briefing newsmen in Akure ahead of the 2019 Public Service Week Celebration starting from today, Tuesday, December 10 through 11.
According to him, “fifty-one ghost workers failed to appear for the last verification exercise conducted by the government for its workforce subsequently we have removed their names from our payroll.
“A lot of discoveries were made during the exercise. The syndrome is for people to travel out of the country and still being paid salary without working.
“About 51 workers did not turn up for the verification exercise and to us, that was alarming enough, even after several extension, they did not turn up.”
ALSO READ: Labour Unions shutdown Ekiti State varsity over Fayemi’s sack of over 1,000 workers
“We are conscious of the fact that if people are retiring, it should have impact on our wage bill, even though our pension is also increasing but government is on top of the situation”
Speaking on the public Service Week, the HoS said that the two-day event would witness the launch of new reform initiative which will provide the direction of the state bureaucracy and also to repositioning for better service delivery.
ALSO READ: FRAUD: EFCC secures conviction of 84, recovers N217m in Edo, Ondo in 2019
Aragbaiye said a package of the new initiative has been put together and has received the blessing of the Chief Executive. The reform package which is christened Ondo State Improvement Programme (ODSIP) will become our catechism, henceforth.
“It is designed to address most of the dysfunctions currently plaguing the bureaucracy of the state and sets the tone for a better service”
He commended the state governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, for giving priority to the welfare of the workers to ensure optimum service delivery, payment of six out of the seven months unpaid salaries inherited from the past administration within a space of two years, while workers promotions had not been delayed.