From Saka Bolaji, Minna
The Chanchaga local government of Niger state has uncovered payment of salary to 22 non-existent primary schools and their teachers in the council for the last 10 years in the on-going biometric verification exercise by the council.
The council chairman, Hon. Yusuf Inuwa Fuka, made the disclosure yesterday in his office while addressing journalists saying that the council has over 4,000 workers comprising 2,700 in the education sector and 1,600 other staff of the local government.
Fuka intimated that the verification was not aimed at witch-hunting anyone but to bring sanity into the system by fishing out ghost worker to enable it source for funds to embark on developmental projects, saying that presently the monthly allocation cannot pay staff salary.
He stressed with dwindling monthly allocation to the council it received received N74 million instead of the N177 million needed monthly for the payment of staff salary last month, noting that teachers alone take home N122 million and N55 million for other staff per month.
The chairman called for the cooperation and support of all if the council must succeed even as nobody no matter how high placed would not be spared in bringing sanity into the system.
“With the preliminary investigation, we are determined to succeed. We have 32 schools in our local government but during the verification we have found 22 non-existing schools who were receiving salaries from our local government while they existed in other local councils cut across the state, “he stated.
Fuka added that they were elected not to pay salaries alone but to bring meaningful development to the people and could not afford to fail the electorate.
He stated that a committee has been set up to ensure improved Internal Generated Revenue (IGR), and assured of its judicious utilisation.
Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Alhassan Bawa Niworu, however denied collaborating with the Education Secretary (ES) of Chanchaga local government to frustrate the on-going screening as alleged by the council.
Niworu said that the council wrote a letter of suspension of the ES Dr Ramatu Haruna, Mohammed Garba and Danladi Mohammed Cashier and Head of Personnel titled CLG/PM/EDU/2/50 to the board who responded on NSUBEB/ADM/CRR/CHAN/256/1.
He stated that from level 7 above it is only the board that can employ, sack, suspend with the powers conferred on it by law establishing the SUBEB.
He stated that the board was in full support of the verification exercise, noting that the board initiated the format used by the 25 local governments in fishing out ghost workers which is yielding results.
He added that they were expecting feedback from the councils, explained that it is the ministry of local government who prepares vouchers, not the Education Secretaries in the council.
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