One of the problems associated with Kogi State civil service is ghost-worker syndrome. The state government has done all in its power to solve the problem but to no avail. The situation has led to the non-implementation of full minimum wage regime for the workers in the 21 local government areas in the state and primary school teachers.
On 12 May, 2014 Governor Idris Wada set up Interim Management Committee on payment of salaries to genuine and certified teachers and non-teaching staff in the 21 LGEAS in the state. The chairman of the committee was a season teacher and administrator, Mr. Steven Akwu. This was after the dissolution of the board of SUBEB.
The problem with teachers’ salary started from when minimum wage was implemented for them in 2013. The funds allocated to the payment by first-line charge became grossly in sufficient, resulting in the delay of payment of salary to teachers.
Between June and August 2013, the state government set up a committee to ascertain the genuine staff population, so that the minimum wage could be implemented. One of the findings of the committee was that the sum of N129, 000,000 allegedly discovered in the course of investigation could add up to pay the minimum wage. But it could not.
However, at the end of job of the committee headed by Mr Akwu, mind-bogging discoveries were made. One of the discoveries was that some teachers got job elsewhere, yet their names were still on the payment vouchers, notably in Ofu, Dekina and Olamaboro.
One of the staff in this category really shocked the interim management committee. Her name is Mrs. Comfort Amupitan, who walked to the office of Mr. Akwu one afternoon with a startling revelation. She was in company of her husband and her young child.
She narrated how the sum of N450, 350 was paid consistently into her UBA account between January 2012 and May “2013 as salary, even when she duly disengaged from the service of the state government in December 2011. Obviously looking pious, she said she could not spend the money, maintaining that she wants to go to heaven. She said after discussing with her family, she felt the compulsion to return the money to the state government.
She said she was moved by her conscience and inspired by her Pastor to refund the money to SUBEB. The woman who has been with her husband in Abuja, recently officially presented the bank teller she used in refunding the money into SUBEB Zenith bank account to the Interim Management Committee Chairman.
Speaking at the presentation of the bank teller in his office, Mr Stephen Akwu enjoined Kogians, particularly teaching and non–teaching staff in the primary schools to emulate Mrs. Comfort Amupitan. He said that the woman’s gesture in this era of economic hardship suggests that there are still “good Nigerians”.
The chairman urged other teachers and non-teaching staff in a similar position as Mrs Comfort to return salaries wrongfully paid into their bank accounts.
According to the Chairman, Mrs Comfort was on the payroll of Kabba /Bunu LGEA office, before she disengaged with the state civil service.
He thanked her for the noble gesture, saying that God would reward her in her future endeavour.
Earlier, Mrs.Comfort said, “fear of God prevailed on me not to spend what does not belong to me”.
She added, ‘I was moved by my conscience and inspired by my Pastor to refund the money to SUBEB’’.
Source: The Graphic
