The Abia State government has sacked six staff members of the Ministry of Justice over alleged salary padding and handed them over to the law enforcement agencies for prosecution.
Chairman of the state Civil Service Commission, Eno Jerry-Eze, disclosed this yesterday in a statement made available to newsmen in Umuahia, the state capital.
The statement indicated that the padding scheme was “uncovered during an internal audit and administrative inquiry.”
Jerry-Eze said they had engaged in the manipulation of payroll systems, resulting in the unlawful receipt of excess salaries over a sustained period.
The staff are Dickson Uche Eze, principal accountant; Esther Emeruwa, senior accountant; Ijeoma Jonathan, chief executive officer (Account); Treasure Isinguzo, assistant chief executive officer (Accounts); Chioma Erondu, principal executive officer (Accounts) and Hannah Eze, senior executive officer (General Duties).
He also said that, “Chioma Madu, also initially investigated, had been cleared of wrongdoing, having promptly reported the overpayment and taken immediate steps to correct it.
“Additionally, the investigation raised serious concerns about the possible complicity of some members of the Salary Committee in the fraudulent scheme.
“The governor, Alex Otti, has directed that the activities of the committee be subjected to a separate probe to ensure full accountability.
“This decisive action underscores the commitment of the present administration to transparency, discipline, and zero tolerance for corruption in public service.”
“The government wishes to assure the public that it will not relent in its effort to rid the system of all forms of fraudulent malpractice and unethical conduct.”
”We urge all civil servants and stakeholders in the public sector to remain committed to integrity and to report any suspected irregularities through appropriate and confidential channels.”
