The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has sounded a note of warning to those in the public service who recruit, conceal and defend the activities of ghost workers, saying that they will be severely punished.
This is as he said heads of government Ministries, Departments and Agencies who label new projects as ongoing will be penalised when found out.
Buhari said this on Tuesday at the State House, Abuja, in his address at the 3rd National Summit on Diminishing Corruption in the Public Sector themed ‘Corruption and Cost of Governance: New Imperatives for Fiscal Transparency.’
Buhari said, “Government will strike a balance to maintain social equilibrium, mitigate the effects of the economic hardship and at the same time reduce the cost of governance.
“Nevertheless, those who illegally bring in personnel into the public service and conceal ghost workers must be and will be severely punished”.
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Speaking on the increased cost of governance, the President said, “Some MDAs have devised a fraudulent practice of presenting new projects as ongoing projects.
“Sanctions will be meted out to the heads of such errant MDAs. I have confidence that the ICPC will continue to maintain the vigilance required.”
Earlier, Buhari had presented the 2021 public service integrity awards to three recipients.
They include Assistant Commander of Narcotics, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Muhammed Ahmed, Deputy Director, Legal, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Nelson Okoronkwo and a Nigerian PhD student in Japan, Ikenna Nweke, who the President named Citizens Anti-corruption Volunteer Group Icon.
ICPC Certificates of Integrity were also presented to four other public servants including Ifalolu Ifabiyi, a Chief Technical Officer at the Office of the Secretary to the Federal Government; Umar Tsoho, an Assistant Director at the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development; Okoli Ukamaka, a Director at FCT Pensions; and Sebastian Zoemlong, an Assistant Chief Admin Officer at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
