Governor Umahi: shock discovery

The Ebonyi state government said it has uncovered 838 workers in its Local Government Area (LGA) system, involving cemetery keepers.

On paper, they work in cemeteries and draw huge salaries.

In reality, the cemeteries do not exist.

The State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Samuel Okoronkwo, disclosed this on Thursday in Abakaliki.

Okoronkwo noted that the cemetery workers were enrolled in the Consolidated Heath Salary Structure (CONHESS) of the state.

“Investigations revealed that the previous administrations in the state employed about 838 workers as cemetery keepers, even when there is no cemetery managed by government in the 13 Local Government Areas.

“The only cemetery in the state is in Abakaliki and it is being managed by the Catholic Church, so one wonders the job being performed by the cemetery keepers.

“They don’t have job schedule, don’t go to work but collect high salary at the end of every month, even more than those actually doing the work.

“This is fraudulent and government will ensure it does not continue, as it wants to always toe the path of transparency and probity,” he said.

Okoronkwo said that the affected workers would not be sacked but would be removed from the CONHESS enrolment and reposted to other areas in the local government areas where they would be useful.

“A committee has been inaugurated to look into the issue with members drawn from various unions and government agencies.

“We will also screen certificates of workers working under the LGA system, as we have discovered that many workers in the LGA system have fake certificates,” he said.