The Anambra State Local Government Service Commission has identified over 427 ghost workers fraudulently receiving government salaries.
Among these are 59 deceased staff members, 40 retirees, and 11 individuals living abroad, all of whom were still on the commission’s payroll.
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This revelation was made by the commission’s chairman, Vin Ezeaka, on Friday in Awka, the state capital.
The discovery emerged from a comprehensive personnel audit aimed at cleansing the local government system.
Ezeaka stated, “We uncovered 59 deceased staff, 40 retirees, and 222 unidentifiable workers on the payroll, with many living abroad.”
“We have requested the Joint Account Committee (JAC) to remove them from the payroll. Some individuals attempted to retire voluntarily, but we rejected their requests as they had defrauded the government.”
Ezeaka warned that those involved in these fraudulent activities would face legal consequences in accordance with civil service rules.
In addition to the ghost worker revelation, the commission also tackled a certificate fraud racket within the local government system.
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At the end of May 2024, a committee was established to investigate suspicious certificates.
The investigation revealed that 20 individuals presented certificates from Imo State University, of which six were found to be fake.
Ezeaka emphasized the commission’s commitment to sanitizing the system, as mandated by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
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He stated, “we are dedicated to ensuring that genuine workers receive the value for their service, while fraudulent individuals are removed.”
Senior local government staff, including deputy directors and treasurers, were also found to have forged certificates and were dismissed.
Ezeaka announced a grace period for those with fake certificates to come forward voluntarily, warning that they would be sacked if they failed to do so.
The ongoing verification process is not a witch-hunt, Ezeaka assured, but an essential measure to ensure integrity within the local government system.
