By Adekola Afolabi

In two years, the Ondo State Government has lost about N497,733 million to infractions discovered from the payrolls of the Hospital Management Board (HMB) and the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Committee on Verification, Scrutinization and Clean-Up of state payroll has revealed.

No fewer than 2200 civil servants were fingered to be involved in the fraud perpetrated within two years which the verification exercise covered in the two MDAs.

While 2000 workers were involved in over enhanced salaries steps, 76 were collecting both salaries and pensions, 19 were ghost workers, 16 on leave without approval with 29 retired, but still collecting full salaries waiting for their pension among others.

The seven-man committee led by the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Victor Olajorin made the startling revelations  while submitting its report to the Governor in his office, Alagbaka, Akure. He further explained that some officers in the affected government agencies were found to be receiving double salaries.

Other members of the Committee were: Tope Popoola Esq; Hadj Jola Badmos; Dr. Ola Obaado; Bola Taiwo; Kayode Edema and Lawrence Akintunde.

Receiving the committee’s report, the state Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, ordered the immediate sack of state workers who were receiving double salaries, saying this would serve as deterrent to others.

The Governor, who suspected that the State payroll including salaries and pensions had been compromised, set up the  committee to clean up the payroll of infractions.

Governor Akeredolu particularly frowned at the infractions discovered in the payroll, even as he decried the over-bloated workforce which he said was occasioned by many ghost workers.

The Governor also directed that all Ministries, Departments and Parastatals in the State should stop recruitment under any guise until the Salary Verification Committee concluded its assignment.

“We have over-bloated workforce, and undoubtedly, I am sure there are many ghost workers. Those who are receiving double salaries, apart from recovering the money from them, I am directing the Head of Service to get them dismissed. They must serve as deterrent to others,” he said.

Governor Akeredolu appreciated the committee for doing a yeoman’s job and not compromising their integrity.

Earlier, Mr Olajorin had informed the Governor that the first and major step taken by the committee was to contact the various services including the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Hospital Management Board (HMB), Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) and others.

He noted that the committee also obtained vital documents like the Nominal Roll, Disposition List, Pay Register and Pension Payroll so as to achieve its mandate.

“The documents were consequently scrutinized and in the process, the infractions were discovered.

“Mr Governor, permit me to inform you that our beam light was initially focused on TESCOM and some of the infractions detected were about: Officers/pensioners receiving both salary/pension, retired officers later reappointed and drawing salary/pension, officers whose salaries are doubles.

“Details are contained in the Volume 1 of the Committee’s report. In the process, a sum of N304,859,812.51 was discovered as the aggregate loss to the State Government from the above infractions.

“In furtherance of our activities, attention was shifted to the pay register of Hospital Management Board. The committee carried out on-the-spot verification for both medical and non-medical workers in their various facilities across the state. 

“The exercise led to the discovery of unwholesome practices like abscondement, study leave without pay, payment of salaries to officers after resignation, while some officers couldn’t be traced to any health facilities.

“So far, a sum of N192,873,592 has been discovered from HMB as the total loss to the State Government. The Committee also identified the sum of N497,733,404 for infractions in TESCOM and HMB,” Olajorin said.

The Chairman also explained that another issue of concern found by the Committee was the lopsidedness in the posting of officers to health facilities at the urban centres to the detriment of the rural areas.