Gombe uncovers 668 ghost workers
Chima Azubuike, Gombe
No fewer than 668 unknown workers have been identified in Gombe State, this includes 431 in the employment of the State service, 134 in Akko and 103 in Gombe Local Government civil service.
Recall that the State Executive Council recently approved Integrated Payroll Payment Gateway and Human Resource Management Information System to reduce leakages.
Disclosing this in the maiden biometric briefing on Friday, Gombe State Commissioner for Finance, Muhammad Magaji, revealed that the state has made the total savings of 38 million from the completion of biometrics in the two Local Governments.
He said, “Work has started; result from the pilot programme which held in certain areas across the state capital, Akko are out and are being implemented effective today. That is why we thought the need to carry along every civil servants and all people of Gombe to be aware of what is going on to be aware of the progress we have made with respect to Integrated Payroll Payment Gateway and Human Resource Management Information System.
“As at today, all state Ministries Department and Agencies employees have been enrolled with their biometric information fully captured. Database of employees record have been created for ease and hosted in the cloud and all academic record is created.”
While noting that the employees would be suspended for a space of three months until proven otherwise, saying “if you take out somebody it means the savings would continuously be there until otherwise, if you are suspended for 3 months and you don’t show up, it means you are not a staff you don’t exist.”
“431 employees recorded no show, this means 431 staff of the State government didn’t show up for the biometric exercise after the biometric has taken place. They have been taken off the payroll as at today and a totall savings of N31.1m have been recovered as savings due to the biometric.
“In Gombe LGA, Local Education Authority were also enrolled with their database created, a total number of 103 staff did not show up for the exercise, a total savings of N3 million have been made due to the suspension. With respect to Akko Local Education Authority have been enrolled in the biometric machine, with database of employees already pasted on the cloud, a total number of 134 staff did not show up for the exercise 81 local government staff and 53 LEA they have been suspended with the savings of 3 million have been made due to the biometric,” Magaji added.
