The Abia State Head of Service, Lady Joy Maduka, has said that the ongoing physical verification of civil and public servants in the state is intended to eliminate ‘ghost’ workers.
Maduka, who spoke during the flag-off in Umuahia, on Thursday, assured the workers that all hitches in the payment of salaries, allowances, and retirement would be a thing of the past after the exercise.
She pointed out that the exercise among other things would check padding of salaries and other sharp practices committed by corrupt individuals in the system.
Maduka said the exercise was initiated by Governor Alex Otti with a focus to streamlining activities in the Abia State public service with a view to bettering the lot of Abia workers and enhancing efficient and effective service delivery mechanisms.
She said, “After this all-important exercise, we strongly believe that the Abia State public service would have been purged of some negative vices such as the ‘ghost workers’ syndrome and genuine workers shall have all the dividends of the service, which include prompt and regular payment of salaries and other fringe benefits, such as prompt and regular payment of leave allowances and regular promotion.
“I, therefore, enjoin all public servants in the state to avail themselves of this opportunity and present themselves for the verification as they would not regret participating in the exercise”.
