22 Ghost Schools, 24 Ghost Head Teachers Discovered in Niger State

22 Ghost Schools, 24 Ghost Head Teachers Discovered in Niger State

A whooping N76 million was paid monthly for the upkeep of at least  22 ghost primary schools and 24 ghost head teachers discovered in one local government alone in Niger State.

The non-existent schools and head teachers were discovered after a staff audit ordered by the Chairman of Chanchaga Local Government Area, Inuwa Adamu Fuka, the Punch newspaper is reporting.

The audit also discovered that some retired senior staff of the local government and those transferred to state ministries were still drawing salaries from the local government months after they had stopped working for the council.

The audit also revealed that in one case a level 5 employee was drawing the salary of a level 15 officer. In another case, an employee who resigned to take up a job with the federal government was still drawing salaries from the local government up to last April.

Fuka, directed that all payments to the ‘ghost’ schools and head teachers’ salaries be stopped immediately. He has also directed the audit committee to fish out all those involved in the fraud so they can face justice.

“You are to identify and submit the names of scheduled officers responsible for the payment as from January 2010 to April 2016,” he said.

When contacted, Fuka, however, said he would not make further comments on the issue until the audit is completed.

Governor Abubakar Sani Bello had recently directed all local government chairmen in the state to carry out a staff audit to identify genuine workers.