By Ikwen Atuaka
The screening exercise targeted at weeding out ghost workers in local governments by the Cross River State government has resumed in Obudu following resumption of work by civil servants.
As earlier reported by CrossRiverWatch, the screening exercise was received with mixed feelings and a short industrial action by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) halted the process which however, resumed penultimate Monday.
Findings by CrossRiverWatch reveals that council staff screening began on Monday and is scheduled to conclude today Wednesday, July 29, 2015 with primary school teachers to begin theirs tomorrow, Thursday, July 30, 2015.
After today’s exercise, the branch Chairman of NULGE, Ferdinand Ugbong in an interview with CrossRiverWatch criticized the method used for screening;
“I am of the opinion that this screening exercise should have been better conducted to allow a possibility for e-payment. That way, the cronies of corruption would have no further opportunity of fixing ghost workers in the salary vouchers.
“However, what we can find in the council payroll is a number of dead and retired staff. Other deliberate entrenchments (of ghost workers) are a product of the organized crimes of government officials”.
The screening which holds at the local government secretariat along ranch road in Obudu, always has in attendance the Council Chairman, Hon. Emmanuel Ugbe, his Vice, Josephine Eliom Ushie, the Head of Local Government Administration, Raymond Ettah and NULGE Obudu chapter Chairman, Ferdinand Ugbong.
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