The Cross River State Government and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) have disagreed over claims surrounding the discovery of about 4,000 ghost workers in the state’s local government payroll system.
The disagreement follows complaints by the state chapter of the NUT over alleged unpaid salaries owed to some teachers and delays in the implementation of promotions for certain members.
The issue came to the fore on Monday during a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Victor-Felix Idem, in Calabar.
Speaking at the meeting, Idem said the state government uncovered widespread payroll irregularities during a verification exercise involving workers’ Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs).
According to him, more than 4,000 questionable entries were identified across local government councils, primary healthcare centres, political appointments, and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
He said 1,200 fake BVNs were discovered in local government councils, 526 in primary health centres, 643 among political appointees, and 2,000 in SUBEB.
The commissioner alleged that some workers submitted fake BVNs, while others used BVNs linked to multiple identities, raising concerns over payroll fraud and the existence of ghost workers.
He explained that the verification exercise was aimed at sanitising the payroll system and ensuring that only legitimate workers receive salaries.
Idem also dismissed allegations that the ministry paid workers half salaries, insisting that salary payments were handled by local government councils.
He challenged the NUT leadership to provide evidence, including payslips and records of affected workers, to substantiate claims of salary shortfalls.
However, the Chairman of the Cross River State NUT, Gregory Olayi, faulted aspects of the government’s position, insisting that several teachers had remained unpaid since September despite complying with directives to submit payroll-related documents.
Olayi further alleged that some teachers experienced salary reductions after promotion adjustments were initially implemented.
He, however, expressed support for the ongoing payroll verification exercise, stressing the need to eliminate ghost workers and safeguard public funds.
The union leader called for improved communication between the government and labour unions to prevent misunderstandings and avoid unnecessary public disputes.
He also assured that the union would provide relevant records to help distinguish genuine workers affected by the verification process from fraudulent entries.
Also speaking, the Auditor-General for Local Governments, Bassey Eko, said a review of salary implementation revealed the need to verify approved promotions and assess their financial implications.
Eko disclosed that SUBEB had been directed to provide comprehensive records of promotions and their implementation, warning that delays in submission contributed to the suspension of payments for some affected staff.
He noted that the exercise was designed to promote accountability and prevent payroll fraud, while expressing concern over SUBEB’s absence from meetings convened to address the issue.
The meeting ended with stakeholders agreeing on the need for continued engagement to resolve outstanding salary and promotion concerns, while ensuring transparency in the local government payroll system.