By Austin Ogwuda

Enugu—ENUGU State governor Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, yesterday inaugurated an eleven-man Stakeholders Committee on Staff Audit and Biometric data capturing of the existing 17 local government councils in the State with a view to block leakages and checkmate ghost workers.

The Committee is headed by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Edward Ubosi.

The governor charged the members to take the assignment seriously, noting that “the    staff audit is also intended to help the government, identify and flush out ghost workers and block all avenues of leakages and wastages that have hitherto weighed down the finances of local government councils.

“The Committee’s report”, he said, “will be central to the successful execution of government’s plans to institute far reaching reforms and take requisite measures to standardize and restore sanity to the manner with which staff matters and related issues are handled in our local governments.

“The reforms will help the government bring to an end the incessant complaints, disputes, confusion, impunity and uncertainty that had long bedevilled personnel administration in the third tier of government.

He noted that the task before the committee was an onerous one but pointed out that it was one that must be tackled, “promptly, zealously and dispassionately in order to save the system of local government administration in Enugu State from imminent collapse”.

The committee has the following terms of reference:    ascertaining the staff strength of each local government council and determine the financial implication of the staff in respect of monthly salaries of each local government council.

Others include to “ascertain the outstanding salaries and allowances of each local government council, SUBEB, Local Government Service Commission and Pension Board; determine the number of political appointees in each of the local government councils and verify the total number of primary school teachers in each local government.