PAY ROLL SCAM: CIVIL SERVANTS DUPE BAYELSA GOVT. N2.6 BILLION ANNUALLY

YENEGOA, Bayelsa – The Judicial Commission of Inquiry on pay roll fraud has presented the volume 1 of its report to the government with a shocking discovery.

The Chairperson of the Commission, Hon. Justice Doris Adokeme while presenting the report to Governor Seriake Dickson at the Executive Chamber, Government House, Yenagoa on Wednesday blamed over bloated wage bill on the activities of fraudsters in the system.

A statements by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said it uncovered 6,280 unauthorized employments at the eight constitutionally recognized local government areas and thirty-two Rural Development Authorities which amounted to an annual loss of N2.61 billion.

The commission in its findings discovered 3,243 unauthorized employees at Rural Development Authorities and 3,037 at the eight constitutionally recognized Local Government Areas.E keremor led the chat with 1.162 employees followed by Southern Ijaw, Yenagoa, Ogbia and Brass.

The Justice Adokeme led Commission gave Kolokuma/Opokuma local government and RDA a clean bill of performance with employment of 505 staffers, adding that in spite of their strength, the workers are putting up optimal performance.

The commission in its findings attributed over bloated wage bill at the third tier of government to illegal transfer of service, substitution of names of retirees, illegal inheritance of death resulting of legal employee and back dating of appointment.
It, therefore, called for holistic implementation of the recommendations of the Commission, arguing that this is only way to curb the activities of pay roll fraudsters and reduce wage bill.

Governor Dickson after receiving the report of commission commended the efforts of its members for being painstaking in their findings and assured that government would look into it and take necessary steps.
He described the issue of pay roll fraud in the state as pathetic but assured the people that his administration would get to its root and put a stop to it.




Governor Dickson asked the commission to beam its searchlight on education sector, describing it as another critical sector that is giving the administration sleepless nights. The governor said his administration is waiting to receive other volumes of the reports, especially reports on the main stream civil service.

He added that a committee would be inaugurated to carry out the re-organization in the Ministry of Environment.
The governor equally announced that henceforth the employment of sanitary inspectors should commence.