By Adesina Soyooye
Governor Hope Uzodimma says the days of padding Salary bills, where some people received double salaries are over. He said this when he received the report submitted by the Committee on Verification of Staff and Salaries of the Unified Local Government Councils in Imo State.
Receiving the report at the Exco Chambers, Government House, Owerri, Wednesday, Governor Uzodimma said the verification became necessary as a result of what was observed at the inception of his administration, where 85% of Local Government fund was spent on payment of salaries of workers with nothing more to show at the Councils by way development.
He commended the Committee for living up to expectation of submitting the report on record time, noting that government will only pay those that have employment history and actually working for it.
Governor Uzodimma emphasized that no amount of brigandage by any group of persons will stop the government from doing the right thing, adding that “government will drop as many as possible on the local government payroll that are not working for government.”
In addition, the Governor reinstated his earlier stand on the automation of all workers’ salaries in Imo State. He said that “no worker in Imo State will, any longer, receive double salaries.” He warned that those old days and ways are over and there must be sanity in the system.
Presenting their report, the Chairman of the Committee on Verification of Staff and Salaries of the Unified Local Government Councils in Imo State, Mrs. Rosemary Izuogu, who is, also, the Permanent Secretary in the Local Government Civil Service Commission of Imo State, pointed out a lot of rot in the management and administration of Local Governments in the state.
She informed that their discoveries were worrisome and ugly, ranging from salary padding, amounting to N9 million and above in a single LGA, and some workers receiving double salaries per month.
She advised on the need to solve the hydra-headed problems discovered in the process of the verification, noting that a syndicate and cabals have been there for a very long time.
Mrs. Izuogu said that her Committee uncovered many workers who ought to have retired but are still working, as well as many illegal recruitment exercises which have resulted in resources being wasted on people who are not workers, but always come to demand for salaries.
