Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Permanent Secretary of Imo State Local Government Service Commission, Mrs Rosemary Izuogu, is battling to rid the 27 council areas of high level corruption allegedly being perpetuated by senior officials.
Izuogu, who is working on a verification of staff of the council’s with other members of her committee revealed that over 300 staff in the 27 local government areas have been identified as ghost workers.
Izuogu said this accounted for why over 100 staff from the LGs have continued to violate rules of the commission as prescribed by the House of Assembly for a five-year duration for staff in their various departments.
Record available to Izuogu said about 15 of the staff have worked for 30 years in a particular council while over 100 have stayed beyond 10 years.
Izuogu, who said she was recalled from retirement to sanitise the local government administration system also disclosed that most of the staff falsified their documents to get promotion to a higher office mostly as clerical staff to level 15.
According to her, the system is so messed up that some staff have resorted to using diabolical means to remain in one council.
But Izuogu has also been heavily criticised by some of the staff for allegedly indulging in “indiscriminate postings” although she followed a directive from Governor Hope Uzodimma, who ordered that the commission be reshuffled in line with set out guidelines.
But Izuogu pointed out that people behind the allegation were those who had overstayed in their respective councils. She insisted that the allegations were baseless and unfounded.