Lokoja – A Staff Verification Committee set up by the Acting Chief Judge of Kogi state has uncovered 268 ghost workers in the state judiciary.
The committee also uncovered 706 illegally recruited staff on the payroll of the state government.
Chairman of the probe panel, Justice Mohammed Etsu Umar, disclosed this while submitting the report of the committee to the Acting chief Judge (CJ), Justice Josiah Joe Majebi in Lokoja on Wednesday.
The committee recommended the termination of all ‘illegal’ appointments into the services of Kogi state judiciary, between January,2021 and June, 2022.
According to Umar, the recruitment malpractice has led to ‘astronomical’ increase in personnel emoluments, representing 40 per cent increase in personnel cost.
“After a careful check of the names of newly employed staff from January 2021 to June 2022, the staff disposition list and payroll, it was discovered that some of the names on the payroll could not be found on the staff disposition list of the courts and other departments.
“Therefore, it is an indication that though their names are on the pay roll but they do not have duty stations and do not work anywhere in the inspectorate offices.
“It is our recommendation that it is an abnormality for a staff to be on pay roll without duty station.
“Such situation should be immediately corrected by termination of employment of such persons affected,” the committee recommended .
The Committee also recommended that, “henceforth, employment (by the institution) should be highly regulated to the needs of the judiciary establishment and based on budgetary provisions and availability of vacancies.”
While appreciating the committee members for a thorough job, the Acting Chief Judge, Justice Majebi, said the committee’s assignment would be a continuous one as he expressed his resolve to ensure routine scrutiny of the payroll of the high court and entire judiciary.
He said this has become necessary to safeguard staff welfare with utmost empathy and due process and diligence in Staff recruitment and administration which he says is the cardinal goal of his stewardship as the state Acting chief Judge.
Majebi, promised to implement the recommendations of the Committee without delay with a view to bringing sanity and discipline to the state judiciary for efficient judicial system in the state.
“I am being guided by the three principles of showing love and being concerned with the problems and happiness of the people I lead.
“And when I assumed office, I said the prevailing order cannot achieve what I want to achieve, so I had to joggle with the order.
“So, I changed the DPM and, i have always invited the Judiciary workers union (JUSUN) Chairman to be part of what we do because staff welfare and the interest of the system should always be our collective purpose.
“We cannot afford to allow the system to collapse,” he said.
It will be recalled that the set up of the Staff verification committee recommended by the state high court council of Judges to administrative malpractice.(vitalnewsngr.com)
