Over 400 ghost teachers uncovered in Benue — including 18 dead people

The Benue state teaching service board says it has uncovered 433 ghost workers, including 18 dead persons, in its payroll.

Frank Kyungun, executive secretary of teaching service board, disclosed this on Wednesday while presenting the report of the screening exercise recently conducted by the board to Samuel Ortom, governor of the state.

He said the ghost workers were uncovered after verification of 4,473 staff across the three senatorial zones of the state.

“The screening uncovered 433 ghost workers on the payroll after verification of 4,473 staff across the three senatorial zones of the state,” Kyungun said.

“The screening committee also uncovered 18 dead persons, 70 retired staff, 193 redeployed staff, among other irregularities on the payroll, who were accordingly expunged.”

Meanwhile, Ortom has constituted a committee to immediately implement the screening report.

Dennis Ityavyar, the state commissioner for education, has been appointed to head the committee.

The governor urged the committee to ensure that the perpetrators are identified and prosecuted.

“Those who had milked the board through ghost workers must be identified and prosecuted,” the governor said.

He also directed that “the ghost names be immediately deleted from the payment voucher”.