Recent screening of workers in the 21 local government areas of Kogi State is aimed at instilling sanity in the councils, as it ensures that only legitimate workers are paid for their services.
Kogi State chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, Aloysius Okino disclosed this in Lokoja Monday, saying the exercise was not to victimise anyone but as a way of eliminating wastage in the councils.
He pointed out that the screening of the workers had also helped the councils to establish the activities of some dubious people who have been milking the councils of its millions of naira monthly through ghost workers syndrome.
Hon. Okino argued that the councils would no longer tolerate a situation where money is paid to wrong persons, saying that such wasteful ventures were already frustrating developments in the councils.
Explaining further, the ALGON boss regretted that fictitious names are inserted into the vouchers to siphon the scarce resource of the councils monthly by some unpatriotic group of people.
“Imagine that people who are working in other organizations, under aged children, wives of people who are not working with the councils are drawing salaries from the councils. This should be condemned by all. The councils cannot make progress with that type of arrangement,? he stressed.
The ALGON chairman stated that the leaderships of the councils were ready to continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people, appealing for the support of the public in their quest to rid off the corrupt officers and their allies in the council.
While promising to support and remain committed to the transformation programmes of the state governor, he said that the governor’s agricultural revolution and youth empowerment is already yielding positive results.
