While inaugurating the committee at the Government House in Lokoja, the state governor, Idris Wada, said the action had become imperative if the state wants to achieve economic growth and development.
Wada said the state’s monthly revenue both from the federation account and the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, presently stands at about N3.5 billion, thereby leaving a paltry N600 million for other government activities.
The governor tasked the committee to peruse the workers payroll to ascertain their actual number and fish out ghost workers wherever they exist.
He also called on the eight-member committee to help the state government find out why the monthly wage bill had been on a steady rise in the past years in spite of the embargo on recruitment into the service.
Governor Wada gave the committee one month within which to carry out the assignment and submits its report to the government.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Shaibu Ado said a situation where as much as N2.9 billion out of a total of N3.5 billion monthly revenue was being expended on payment of salaries portends danger for the state’s development and future.
Ado, however, pledged on behalf of other committee members to carry out the assignment with due diligence and with the fear of God.
