By Daniel Agbo
Makurdi
Benue state Assembly yesterday said it has stumbled on information which revealed that many people who had retired from the state civil service were still receiving salaries.
Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Terkimbi Ikyange, who disclosed this during a meeting with staff officers and heads of administration of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) at the assembly complex, said the Assembly was carrying out more investigation and would stop at nothing to unearth the reason behind the high wage bill.
He appealed to civil servants to volunteer more information that could assist the Assembly to unravel the mystery behind the over bloated wage bill of the state, assuring that such information will be treated with confidentiality.
He said the meeting was in furtherance of the determination of the House to ascertain the exact wage bill of the state.
“The Benue state House of Assembly is disturbed that government is finding it difficult to pay salaries of workers as well as meet other financial obligations, so we will spare no effort to ensure that we find lasting solution to the problem.
“The Assembly has put off its recess to enable us dedicate more time in analysing data so far collected, and we will do everything possible to ascertain the exact wage bill of the State,” he noted.
Speaking, one of the staff officers Mr. Awua Donatus, denied rep[orts that they were shielding some retired civil servants to remain on payroll.
He blamed the practice where salaries were being paid to retired workers on the failure of the office of the Accountant General to remove retirees’ names from the payment voucher.