A total of 88 ‘ghost workers’ received the sum of N48,210,000 as car loan from the Ondo State government in 2018, the 2019 audit report submitted to t
A total of 88 ‘ghost workers’ received the sum of N48,210,000 as car loan from the Ondo State government in 2018, the 2019 audit report submitted to the Ondo State House of Assembly has revealed.
Some beneficiaries got double car loan while 86 workers in both the civil and teaching service collected loans above what they were qualified for. It was through the audit report that the lawmakers learnt that the sum of N4.3bn was stashed in a Zenith bank account for over 10 years.
Part of the audit report stated that the sum of N9, 750,000 was fraudulently disbursed to16 non-public officers between October and December 2018. The report said further investigation showed that a total sum of N38, 460,000 was given to 66 persons whose names could not be found in the State Salary payment register and who were consequently deemed to be non-government employees.
It said findings showed that Director, Treasury Service, Mr. Akinsanmi T. R and Mr. Jegede E.D Head Car Loan Unit were responsible for the signing of the bank confirmation schedules for cheques issued in respect of the disbursement. The report said most of the disbursements were done without regard to due process.
Last month, 25 civils servants were arrested and suspended for various offences including stealing millions of naira, employment racketeering and including ghost workers in the pay roll of the state government. One of them smuggled the name of his wife into the payroll and placed her on level 14.
The Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu has said that he would look into it and perpetrators won’t go unpunished.
