There are fresh plans by the Imo State government to fish out more ghost workers, retired or dead persons, whose names still appear on the wage bill of the State workforce.
The State Executive Council, shortly after one of its meetings recently vowed to clean up the civil service, perhaps due to the rising wage bill of the state workforce.
It was gathered that part of the plans is to ensure that all government establishments, at the local and state levels, undergo a fresh audit to ascertain the actual number of workers.
The increase in the wage bill, this newspaper was told, came as a result of alleged sharp practices perpetrated by some workers in the State Ministries, parastatals and agencies.
There are also suspicions that names of dead workers are on the payroll, including some Permanent Secretaries and Directors, who should have retired but are still in the work force.
The Hope Uzodimma administration since inception in 2020, had taken proactive steps to curtail the issue of ghost workers and salary padding in the state civil service. It has also taken extra steps to boost workers morale by proving free buses which convey workers to and from work.
Last year, it also carried out Biometric capturing of workers in the state work force.
A source however told this newspaper that “despite the biometric capturing, there are concerns over the increasing wave of ghost workers in the state work force. Some persons who travel abroad even receive salaries and this is unacceptable.
“There will be a fresh audit of staff. And its going to be Physical verification. All workers will be physically present on the day of staff auditing and no excuse would be accepted.
