The Cross River State Government has dismissed allegations that teachers and local government workers are being paid half salaries, insisting that recent complaints are linked to an ongoing payroll verification exercise designed to eliminate ghost workers and restore transparency to the state's wage system.
The clarification came during an interactive meeting between government officials, labour leaders, and journalists in Calabar, where authorities revealed that more than 2,000 questionable payroll records had been uncovered during the verification process. The records reportedly include invalid Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs), duplicate entries, and cases where a single BVN was allegedly linked to multiple salary payments.
Speaking at the meeting, the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Chief Victor-Felix Idem, said the exercise was initiated to sanitize the payroll system and ensure that only genuine workers receive salaries.
According to him, investigations exposed widespread irregularities, particularly within the payroll structure of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), where a significant number of the questionable records were discovered.
He explained that government could not ignore a situation where one BVN appeared repeatedly across payroll records, describing such practices as a threat to accountability and prudent management of public funds. The commissioner maintained that the verification exercise is aimed at protecting government resources while guaranteeing that legitimate workers receive their entitlements.
Idem also rejected claims that government was paying workers half salaries, stressing that the Ministry of Local Government Affairs does not directly disburse salaries.
According to him, the ministry's role is limited to uploading payroll information, while salary payments are handled by local government councils. He challenged anyone alleging half-salary payments to provide evidence, including names and payslips, to enable proper investigation of such claims.
The commissioner assured workers who may have been affected by the verification exercise that genuine cases would be addressed. He advised affected employees to obtain authentic BVN records directly from their banks and submit them through the appropriate channels for verification.
He stated that once their details are confirmed, such workers would be restored to the payroll and paid accordingly.
Government officials further disclosed that labour leaders had been granted access to relevant documents and records generated during the exercise to ensure transparency and allow them verify government findings independently.
Responding on behalf of teachers, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Cross River State, Comrade Greg Olayi, said the union's intervention was driven by concerns over members whose salaries had been delayed or suspended since the commencement of the verification exercise.
While acknowledging the need to sanitize the payroll system, Olayi noted that some teachers who complied with all verification requirements were still facing difficulties accessing their salaries. He urged government to address such cases promptly and ensure that innocent workers do not suffer as a result of the exercise.
The NUT chairman also expressed concern over delays in the implementation of promotions and salary adjustments, calling on authorities to review outstanding promotion records and ensure deserving workers receive their benefits.
Similarly, President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Cross River State, Comrade Leko Otabe, endorsed the payroll verification exercise, describing it as a necessary step toward eliminating ghost workers, unauthorized payroll beneficiaries, and other irregularities that have long affected salary administration.
However, he called for improved communication and stronger collaboration between government and labour unions to prevent misunderstandings and resolve emerging issues before they escalate into disputes.
Also speaking, the Auditor-General for Local Government, Elder Bassey Abam Eko, explained that the temporary suspension of some promotion implementations was intended to allow government review records, reconcile discrepancies, and determine the financial implications of pending adjustments.
He said the review would help ensure that promotions and salary adjustments are based on accurate and verifiable records while preventing possible abuse of the process.
The development comes amid renewed efforts by the Cross River State Government to strengthen accountability in public service administration and eliminate payroll fraud. Authorities insist the verification exercise is not targeted at any individual or group but is aimed at ensuring that public funds are paid only to legitimate workers while safeguarding the integrity of the state's payroll system.
Post A Comment: