By Agboola Bayo
Ibadan
Oyo state government yesterday said it has suspended the salaries of 16,532 workers suspected to be involved in series of alleged fraudulent practices.
Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Olalekan Alli, who dropped this hint in Ibadan at a press conference, stated that the affected workers were drawn from different ministries, departments and parastatals.
According to him, the workers were alleged to had involved in fraudulent practices such as falsification of retirement age, drawing multiple salaries and using multiple bank accounts to conceal financial illegalities.
Alli stressed that already, the state government had set up a five-man staff verification panel to further probe the affected workers “on one-on-one basis”, within the next 14 days after which the government would formally make public the results of the panel’s findings and recommendations.
He stated that the 569 workers cut across the pensioners, TESCOM employees, tertiary employees and local government staff, adding that 1,277 employees, who had passed retirement age, were still collecting salaries on monthly basis from government.
“After this forensic computerized data audit, the consultants from the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBB Plc) found many instances of inconsistencies, variations and entry details that did not tally. In all, 16,532, employees out of a total 100,259 analysed were found to have such issues requiring further clarification,” he said.
Alli maintained that the on-going staff verification exercise is to determine the extent of the multiple salary payments with the suspects found guilty be made to refund all the illegally drawn salaries as legal actions would be taken against them accordingly.
