BY GBENGA ARIYIBI
ADO-EKITI—No fewer than  663 civil servants in the employment of Local Government  Service Commission in Ekiti State have been reprimanded for various offences ranging from certificate forgery to falsification of age.

Briefing newsmen in Ado Ekiti yesterday, chairman of the state Local  Government Service Commission, Chief Aderemi Ajayi, said the erring civil  servants were indicted  based on the report of the audit panel set up by the state government

He said: “A total of 336 workers were found indicted as a result of age/length of service/physical appearance, saying the set of workers would have their names expunged from the  staff nominal roll of the  various local governments while those who were indicted for certificate  forgery by WAEC and those who voluntarily confessed to have forged their certificates were 169, these category of workers, would according to him be dismissed from  service, “in addition they would  be prosecuted.”

According to him,  156 workers, were said to have  refused to  turn up for the two screening exercises. Ajayi described workers in these category as on-line workers/ghost workers.

The chairman of the commission further disclosed that two other workers were receiving salaries in two or more pay  points, saying the two workers are to refund the overpayment, in addition, they  would be dismissed from the service

The commission, however, showed clemency to the  three officers whose certificates  have been cancelled by WAEC without their knowledge. The commission has  also allowed the workers to stay in service, but to acquire another WAEC certificates  within the next two years

Also, 1,281 others were cleared by the panel for alleged age discrepances and certificate forgery. These officers, according to him would continue with their service and their salaries which had been withheld would be released to them.