The Abia State Ministry of Information and Strategy has started the process of verifying its workers to get rid of ghost workers. The exercise, which was initially scheduled for two days, from Monday to Tuesday, was shifted and took place on Wednesday and Thursday. The verification exercise involved workers in the ministry presenting photocopies of their service documents to the Administration Department of the Ministry.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Charles Ifenkwe, signed the release that notified the workers about the verification exercise. The decision to carry out the verification exercise in the Ministry of Information and Strategy is backed by Governor Alex Otti’s administration’s desire to identify and eliminate ghost workers from the state civil service.
According to a source in the state’s civil service, authentic workers need not worry about the verification exercise. The source added that the verification exercise was a step taken by the government to ensure that only genuine workers receive wages and salaries.
In a related development, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works in the State, Mr Sunday Okpara, has invited all contractors handling projects for the Ministry to a crucial meeting in his office. The reason for the meeting is yet to be disclosed.
