Okowa’s Government Vows To End ‘Ghost Working’, Introduce Whistleblower Policy To Checkmate Fraud In Civil Service

The Delta State Government has expressed determination to bring to an end activities of ghost workers in the state, saying that it has introduced the Whistleblower Policy in the State Civil Service, to checkmate fraudulent activities of ghost workers, and all those who received double salaries from the state treasury.

The Chairman of the State Civil Service Commission, Dame Patience Nkem Okwuofu, dropped the hint during a monitoring exercise/working visit to the Office of the Head of Service, last week.

She said that whistle blowers would be rewarded accordingly for furnishing the commission with vital and necessary information that would put paid to the fraudulent activities of the people involved.

She expressed worry and great concern over the fraudulent activities of such dubious elements, saying that it was not only a rip off on the state government, but also criminal of the highest order.

Nkem Okwuofu, also frowned at a situation whereby names of dead civil servants were still on the payroll and those who ought to have retired were still in service.

“We don’t know them, but you know them because they are your friends and colleagues. We urge you to expose them by furnishing us with the necessary information that will nail them and bring them to book.

“We can’t continue to waste our lean resources on absentee or absconded civil servants or pay double salaries to some civil servants. Enough is enough. We need your cooperation in this regard.”

She however commended the Head of Service, Mr. Reginald Bayoko and his team for their excellent performance, saying that civil servants are the back bone of any government as they are the vehicles that drive government programmes and policies.

She charged civil servants to be committed and alive to their responsibilities, pointing out that the success of any government was dependent on efficient and effective service delivery by civil servants.

For optimal performance, Dame Okwuofu assured that civil servants would be promoted as at when due, saying that delay in promotion or accumulation of promotion arrears was not good enough for the system, even as he charged the officers in charge of promotion to be up and doing to address the issue of payment of promotion arrears once and for all.

While pledging their support for the Head of Service in terms of instilling discipline in the civil service, she cautioned against lobbying for posting, rejection of posting or lobbying for transfer back to former office, adding that posting or transfer is a routine in the civil service.

Earlier, the Head of Service, Mr. Reginald Bayoko, said that the monitoring exercise/working visit to the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) was a welcome development and morale booster aimed at ascertaining how civil servants were fairing, with a view to getting a feedback from them on their challenges and the way forward.

He commended Dame Okwuofu and her team for their achievements, explaining that partnering and synergising with the CSC had been yielding the desired results and assured Dame Okwuofu of civil servants’ commitment to their duties via purpose-driven service, emphasising that all hands should be on deck to actualise the SMART Agenda of the present administration, as well as move the state civil service to the next level.