The continued influx of ghost workers in the Delta state government owned Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) has recently posed concerns to the state government, as earlier plans to control the unending trend failed to yield desirable results, leading to worrisome wage bill rise.
The Delta State rising wage bill which is believed to be caused by the existence of ghost workers in the state civil service, has however given room for a new plot to engage the services of reliable consultants to introduce new and effective biometric capture system.
The fresh decision to flush out these unwanted workers, according to the state Commissioner for Information, Barr. Chike Ogeah, was reached in Lagos by the State Economic Team led by Bismark Rewane, Managing Director, Financial Directives.
Commissioner Ogeah, who made the disclosure at a press briefing on Thursday, June 27, 2013 in Asaba, said it was discovered that the state’s wage bill had risen from N6.8 billion to N7.1 billion monthly, hence the need for the exercise so as to weed out the ghost workers from the state’s civil service and reduce the wage bill of the state.
Recall that a great number of unqualified and ghost workers have recently been flushed out from the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) and the Delta State House of Assembly.
The commissioner further revealed that the state Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) which had risen from N12.2billion in 2007 to N45.7billion in 2012 and N23billion between January and May, 2013 respectively would be deployed to take care of the wage bill in the state.
Ogeah also explained that in a bid to improve the financial fortune of the state, the Delta State Economic Advisory Team has devised measures to encourage the prompt payment of taxes by Deltans and oil multinationals operating in the state, saying that it would be attained through effective and aggressive tax campaigns and enlightenments.
While lauding the efforts of the Delta State Board of Internal Revenutheir strengthening its revenue drive, Ogeah said the state is presently locked in programmes that would increase access to job creation and employment generation.
Ogeah, who revealed that the current administration inherited 352 projects from the previous administration of James Ibori in May 2007 totalling N105billion, said that a total of 181 projects have so far been completed.
“The Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan-led administration initiated a total of 399 projects valued at N254billion from May 2007 till date while 17 were repudiated for non-performance, and over 80 percent of the projects would be completed before the lifespan of the current administration.”
He noted that moribund industries would be resuscitated while new feed mills would be established in Asaba, Ughelli and Agbor with six cassava processing mills in six towns at the cost of N871.8 million.
Meanwhile, projects ratified and approved by the 10th state executive council meeting held on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 in Warri, according to the Delta state government image maker, include improved water supply scheme in Asaba, Agbor, Sapele and Ughelli at the cost of N299.8million, N199.1million, N249.8million and N249.8million respectively.
He further disclosed that the state rural health scheme for 2013 would gulp N199.9million while 1000 Christian pilgrims will be sponsored to the Holy Land in 2013 at a cost of N607.9million, scholarship for First Class graduates, N699.9million and Delta’s contribution to BRACED Commission N100m.
