More than nine thousand personnels in Akwa Ibom State employ who fraudulently enriched themselves by collecting salaries from different payrolls of the State Government are to face prosecution.
Governor Udom Emmanuel dropped the hint during this month’s Government House Prayer Meeting held at Latter House Chapel, Governors Lodge, Uyo.
The Governor directed Permanent Secretaries to scrutinize Nominal Roll of their respective ministries to uncover sharp practices, saying that reports reaching his Office has it that the Directional Movement Index (DMI) test carried out discovered that most civil servants posted to different ministries obtained salaries from both the old and new places of assignment, a development which has contributed to over-bloated wage bill for the government.
Governor Emmanuel said culprits must be brought to book to act as deterrent to others and pledged to sanitize the civil service to fit standard best practices.
He announced plans to automate the payroll system and added that finger prints of civil servants would be taken to make it leak-proof against fraud or any malpractice, maintaining that pensions have been paid and that those who did not submit their Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) would encounter delay in accessing the fund.
The Governor observed that God has been kind to the State in many ways and particularly mentioned the safe arrival of the widows who went on pilgrimage to Israel to pray for the state.
He said his investments in the Coconut refinery and Plantation have been vindicated with the latest demand for the product in the international market and called for more prayers for more opportunities to industrialize the state with the abundant natural resources and water coastlines.
Preaching on the theme “Give them something to Eat Yourselves,” Reverend Father Emmanuel Ating, emphasized the need for Christians to show charity to the less privilege and shun the crave for materialism stressing that there is a blessing for those who contribute to the well being of others.
