Skip to main content

EFCC Uncovers 37395 Ghost Workers in Federal Civil Service

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said in Abuja on Tuesday that it had detected 37,395 ghost workers on the payroll of the federal civil service.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the Acting Chairman of INEC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, announced the figure at an anti-corruption sensitisation programme.
Magu said that apart from the widespread procurement frauds in Ministries, Departments and Agencies, the issue of ghost workers was a source of serious concern for the commission.

He said that current investigations by the EFCC had revealed that the Federal Government lost about N1bn to ghost workers recently.
“The EFCC has uncovered 37,395 ghost workers in the federal civil service. And investigation is still going on.
“Our investigations have so far revealed that the Federal Government has lost close to N1bn to these ghost workers.
“The figure will definitely increase as we unravel more ghost workers buried deep in the federal civil service payrolls,” he said.
Magu also said that the commission had established a procurement fraud unit to handle the increasing number of petitions relating to violations of the public procurement laws.
He advised civil servants to avoid any acts in breach of public procurement, warning that violators risked terms of imprisonment and dismissal from service.
“In regard to procurement frauds, there has been a sharp rise in the number of petitions coming to the commission relating to violations of the Public Procurement Act 2007.
“That is what informed my setting up a procurement fraud unit which has since commenced investigations of procurement fraud cases, with some of those cases already in courts.
“Let me warn that civil servants found guilty under the Public Procurement Act risk terms of imprisonment ranging from five years to 10 years and in addition, may face dismissal from the service.
“The commission is determined, more than ever before, to rid all MDAs of all forms of fraudulent activities,” Magu said.
The chairman also said that the commission intended to place suggestion boxes at designated places for people to drop their petitions and reports of corrupt practices to assist it in the fight against corruption.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Alhaji Abubakar Magaji, in his paper, said that as the drivers of government policies, the MDAs should be in the forefront of compliance to public service laws and regulations.
“It is rather sad that over time, the laws, regulations and standard practice governing the operations of the public service are being neglected and often abused, in many cases with impunity.
“The MDAs are expected to be in the forefront of compliance to extant laws and regulations because they collectively constitute the engine room of the government.
“They are responsible for the implementation of government policies and programmes.
“Therefore, the success or failure of such policies and programmes are fully on the shoulders of public officers,” he said.
Magaji said that the works and housing sectors had resolved to regularly organise interactive sessions to educate officers on the importance of compliance to extant laws, regulations and guidelines.
The  programme was organised by INEC for workers in the works and housing sectors.
It featured paper presentations by members of staff of the EFCC on its legal and operational activities

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The War between Iconic Emeka Ike and Segun Arinze

The war between iconic actors Segun Arinze and Emeka Ike seems to have no end in sight. In a recent interview, Arinze had said Ike should stop embarrassing the Actors Guild of Nigeria by parading himself as its president. According to Segun: ‘Emeka should grow up. As far as I am concerned, Ibinabo Fiberesima is the bonafide president. Even in the recent judgement that came out recently telling us to return to the status quo, what does it mean? We were told to go back to the way we were. There was no time Emeka Ike was pronounced the president of AGN. Let him bring out the copy of the judgement and show us if he is man enough. He should wake up and stop embarrassing the guild.” Well, these words did not go down well with Ike who believes Segun Arinze “is an illiterate who should have been in jail.” He told Saturday Beats: “I heard Segun Arinze was interviewed and he said so many things about me and nobody asked me for my own side. I don’t think it was a balanced report. Se...
3 comments
Read more

400-YEAR Old Church Emerge From Receding Water

No biggie, but a Colonial-era church has emerged from receding waters in Mexico. Leonel Mendoza fishes every day in a reservoir surrounded by forest and mountains in the southern Mexico state of Chiapas. But in recent days, he has been ferrying curious passengers out to see the remains of a colonial-era church that has emerged from the receding waters. Pretty impressive, right? A drought this year means the level of the Grijalva River, which flows into the Nezahualcoyotl reservoir, has dropped by 25 meters (82 feet). It is the second time a drop in the reservoir has revealed the church since it was flooded when the dam was completed in 1966. In 2002, the water was so low visitors could walk inside the church. ‘The people celebrated. They came to eat, to hang out, to do business. I sold them fried fish. They did processions around the church,’ Mendoza recalled. The church near Quechula was built by a group of monks headed by Friar Bartolome de l...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ten Safety Tips when driving in the Rain

The Federal Road Safety Corps has reminded all motorists and other road users to be cautious on the roads as the rainy season has set in. This is to ensure sanity on the highways during the season even as the Corps also harps on the need for strict compliance with traffic rules and regulations among road users especially during this period. According to the FRSC’s Public Education Officer, Corps Commander Imoh Etuk, the corps was concerned over the attitude of many drivers. However, here are a few tips to drive safely during this period according to wikiHow ; 1. Keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times! Keep all distractions, such as cell phones or even the radio, off and away from you. While focus to your front do Take a Look in Back View Mirror as well Right Hand side & Left Hand side so that you get an 360 degree over view what is happening around any mud slide or falling tree, electric pole, hanging electrical wires , or in coming hazard etc 2....
1 comment
Read more