The Yobe government on Sunday said the local government staff verification exercise had saved the state over N500 million paid monthly to ghost and irregular employees.
Alhaji Dawa Maigari, the state commissioner for Local government and Chieftaincy affairs, disclosed this while fielding questions from newsmen in Damaturu.
He said the wage bill of workers in the 17 local government councils dropped from N1.5 Billion to N990 million after the verification exercise.
The commissioner said the exercise had expunged ghost workers and, others with irregular employment on the payroll of the local councils.
“Five distressed local government councils that could not pay salaries before the verification now pay the salaries without borrowing from other local councils,” Maigari said.
According to the commissioner, as the coordinating ministry of the local government councils paid five months promotion arrears of N324 million to 4, 803 teaching and non-teaching staff.
The commissioner also said the ministry last year paid N1.121 billion as the contribution for payment of gratuity to 2,127 retirees of local government councils in the state.
He commended Gov. Gaidam for prompt payment of salaries to both state and local government workers.
“Yobe state has proudly remained up-to-date in payment of salaries as it is not indebted to any worker in the state,” he said.
