The Benue State Government has said it will drag senior civil servants fingered in double dipping and multiple salaries to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for further investigation and prosecution.
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Kula Tersoo, said this on Friday when he received members of the Correspondents’ Chapel in the state, led by its chairman, Emmanuel Antswen, in his office.
The state government had on Thursday disclosed that the staff audit it carried out uncovered about 2,500 ghost workers, noting that there were ghost schools, double-dipping incidents, unlawful employment, salary padding, payment to dead and retired individuals, among other infractions in the state.
The CPS who said accountability and transparency remained the hallmark of the present administration, noted that people should not be taken aback when anti-graft agencies began inviting senior civil servants for questioning.
He said during the first phase of the staff audit, it was discovered that many senior civil servants were collecting salaries from three different places; the state government, local government and the Universal Basic Education Board.
He also expressed optimism that the ongoing exercise would expose more people behind the racketeering in the civil service and that perpetrators would be made to answer for their crimes.
Meanwhile, the governor said the state saved N1.2bn on its monthly wage bill as a result of the staff verification exercise.
Speaking, the governor said teachers whose two months salaries were being delayed as a result of the audit had started receiving credit alerts.
The governor who lamented the merciless looting in government before now said the committee would continue its duties until all those milking the state were identified and made to return what they took from the government.
