Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has disclosed the recovery of N1.8 billion from payroll fraud.He said the regaining was due to the recommendations by the state’s public reforms committee.

The governor, in a broadcast on the state-owned radio and television stations, said the reforms were not aimed at sacking workers, but to lay solid foundation for incoming governments.He said: “I have been raising the issue of indiscipline, and unsustainable wage bill from 2012 till now. We have embarked on measures, and verification exercises to reposition the public service.

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“In 2012, the state’s wage bill was over N5 billion, while the councils’ own was about N1.8 billion. But, now, the state has dropped to N3.7billion, and the councils to N1.1billion.”He said the state is largely dependent on federal allocation, adding that its payroll is like the Nigeria voters’ register, which has the dead, ancestors and kids in it.

Dickson expressed concern that the state has over 400, 000 workers earning salaries without going to work.

Culled from Guardian