By Femi Bolaji, Jalingo

The Office of the Accountant General (AG) of Taraba State has refuted claims that it withheld salaries from cleared civil servants.

In a statement, the office emphasized that the Accountant General derives no pleasure from denying workers their entitlements and clarified discrepancies in a recent payroll verification report submitted to the state government.

“The Accountant General’s office has carefully reviewed the report and observed that much of the information it contains is inaccurate,” the statement said.

According to the office, the number of civil servants not paid stands at 4,209 as per the committee and 4,049 as reflected in the payroll—not 7,800 as indicated in the report. The statement added that claims suggesting 1,410 employees were denied payment despite being cleared by the committee are incorrect.

The office explained that unpaid salaries were pending due to compliance with the Governor’s directive. In a meeting with the Auditor General, it was agreed that the list of workers yet to receive payment would be harmonized and submitted to the Governor for final approval.

“The Accountant General’s office takes no pleasure in denying any employee their salary,” the statement concluded, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring rightful payments are made in accordance with official directives.