From Agaju Madugba, Katsina
Katsina State Governor, Umaru Dikko Radda, has unveiled a can of worms involving multiple payment of salaries to some council staff across the 34 local government areas.
“Some staff earn multiple salaries from various LGAs,” a competent source quoted the governor as saying at meeting with the chairmen, heads of local government administration, treasurers and heads of personnel of the 34 councils at the Government House.
Some other senior government officials who attended the meeting included Deputy Governor, Alhaji Faruq Lawal Jobe, Secretary to the State Government, Abdullahi Garba Faskari, the Chief of Staff, Alhaji Jabiru Tsauri and the Principal Personal Officer to the Governor, Abdullahi Aliyu Turaji.
The source noted that the uncovering of the fraud may not be unconnected with report of an investigative panel on the LGAs earlier raised by the immediate past administration of Governor Aminu Bello Masari.
“The staff who earn the multiple salaries are shielded by some influential personalities within the structure of the local governments,” the governor said and vowed to order a comprehensive staff audit of the local government councils.
He said the impending probe would also examine reports of of some staff who are on the payrolls but do not show up for work, along with cases of ghost workers.
Meanwhile, a Government House statement on the issue said “government has received several complaints on the payrolls of our local governments which are very disturbing, hence, we want to sanitise the local government system in our dear state. A situation where some fraudulent persons collect more than a salary is worrisome and we are determined to stop such evil practices.”