Abia Government Sacks Six Ministry of Justice Staff for Salary Padding, Fraud
Abia State State governor Dr Alex Otti
The Abia State Government has dismissed six staff members of the Ministry of Justice over their involvement in a salary padding scheme.
The affected officials were found culpable in a case of payroll fraud and manipulation.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Chairperson of the Abia State Civil Service Commission, Mrs. Eno Jerry-Eze, and made available to journalists in Umuahia.
According to Mrs. Jerry-Eze, the fraud was uncovered during an internal audit and administrative inquiry conducted at the Ministry of Justice.
She explained that the six individuals manipulated the payroll system, granting themselves unauthorized access to salary payments that exceeded their lawful entitlements over a period of time.
Those dismissed are,Dickson Eze, Principal Accountant ,Esther Emeruwa, Senior Accountant,Ijeoma Jonathan, Chief Executive Officer,Treasure Isinguzo, Assistant Chief Executive Officer,Chioma Erondu, Principal Executive Officer (Accounts) and Hannah Eze, Senior Executive Officer (General Duties)
Mrs. Jerry-Eze stated that the disciplinary action followed a thorough investigation by the Civil Service Commission, which included interviews with the implicated workers and a review of relevant financial records.
The findings confirmed that the individuals had knowingly benefitted from irregular salary payments at the state’s expense.
She noted that Chioma Madu, who was also investigated, was exonerated of any wrongdoing.
According to her, Madu promptly reported an overpayment and took corrective steps, which demonstrated integrity.
Mrs. Jerry-Eze further revealed that the indicted individuals would be handed over to the appropriate law enforcement agency for prosecution.
She called on all civil servants and stakeholders engaged in transactions with the state to uphold integrity and report any suspected irregularities.
She also disclosed that Governor Alex Otti has directed an investigation into the activities of certain members of the Salary Committee to ensure transparency and full accountability.(NAN)
