Ebonyi workers verification: Commissioner calls for cash payment of LG teachers

The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Prof. Ogbonnaya Chukwu, has advocated that teachers’ August salaries in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the State be done by cash/table payment.
The Commissioner raised the advocacy on Wednesday in his office in Abakaliki while speaking to newsmen in reaction to the outcome of the recent teachers verification exercise in the State.
He noted that the verification exercise revealed so many irregularities and manipulation of records in the Council area, which necessitated its cancellation.
The Commissioner emphasized that there was an urgent need for table payment to teachers in the council area so as to enable Government fish out ghost and culpable teachers for necessary sanctions.
Chukwu further vowed to beam his searchlight towards exposing all corrupt practices and fraudulent activity found in any sector of the State.
He said : “If there is any loophole and I identify it, I will block it and expose it and the person involved will be brought to book.
“As far as I am concerned, anything in this Ministry that is noticeable as corruption or is not done in line with the ethics and rules, I will not sweep it under the carpet unless is not brought to my notice.
“Everything is not all about money because any money gotten through an evil way also disappears through an evil way.
“In Ohaukwu Local Government Area, there were several, different manipulations.
“From what I saw, there were obvious fraud during the teachers verification in Ohaukwu Local Government.
“Initially when I asked what they have in the normal roll, they said 1000 plus, but after, when I enquired the outcome of the verification, they said 893, making us have a difference of 200 plus teachers in excess.
“So, I advocate for table payment following the irregularities I discovered in that particular local government.”
Reacting on the issue of Minimum wage, the commissioner said the state is waiting for the Federal Government and Labour to conclude negotiations on the consequential adjustments on higher grade levels, after which the state government would discuss with the labour union in the State on how to go about it.
He however re-emphasized that the government was willing to pay the minimum wage but noted that the implementation would commence when the Federal Government was done with the consequential adjustments.
Chukwu, who enjoined staff of his Ministry to work according to the ethics and regulations of the Civil Service to move the Ministry forward, further pledged to utilize all appropriate measures within his power to increase the revenue base of the state in general and to also reposition the ministry which was his primary responsibility.
Recall the the State Government recently ordered the verification of records of all workers in both the State and Local Government Areas, which was concluded last week.
A Circular signed by the State Head of Service, Dr. Chamberlain Nwele, dated August 20, informed workers of further continuous verification scheduled for August 26 to 28.
Workers salaries in the State had always been paid via the Internet Bank Transfers to individual workers accounts by the State Central Payroll Office attached to Ministry of Finance.