A civil society group, Initiative for Social Rights Concerns and Advancements (ISRCA), also known as “No Justice, No Peace,” today urged the heads of service in state governments across the country to crack down on “ghost workers” who continue to receive salaries even while residing abroad.
ISRCA National Coordinator, Comrade (Amb) Derrick Oritsematosan Agberen, made the call in a statement sent to our correspondent in Warri.
“It has become imperative for State Heads of Civil Service, through the State Government, to crack down on ghost workers who are still receiving salaries while abroad.”
“A responsible state government should be able to pay civil servants at least N100,000, especially in states that generate substantial revenue and in oil-producing states benefiting from the 13% derivation fund.”
He added, “It is on record that the Governor of Edo State increased the minimum wage for civil servants to N70,000 in May, even before the resolution reached by the NLC/TUC and the Federal Government.”
According to the group, “Unarguably, Nigeria’s inability to actively provide employment for a sizable percentage of its young population is a growing challenge. Yet, we have a large number of ghost workers and others in government receiving salaries meant for many employees under false names, while a million youths remain unemployed.”
“It is worth noting that each academic year, universities and polytechnics admit nearly two million students and produce about 600,000 graduates annually, with no government plan to ensure their gainful employment.”
“The societal effects include rising insecurity, kidnappings, and robbery. The proportion of unemployed Nigerians with advanced degrees is also rising, posing a significant concern for the country’s future.”
The group also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to seriously investigate the activities of both current and former heads of State Civil Service, stating, “Too many financial frauds and misappropriations have gone unnoticed.”
ISRCA noted that the verification exercises of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) have helped expose some fraudulent activities perpetrated by certain individuals within the service.
“I am therefore calling on the EFCC, ICPC, and relevant agencies to probe the activities of current and former heads of State Civil Service, prosecute government officials and ghost workers on the civil service payroll, and investigate any civil servant who resigns or opts out of the physical verification process.”
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