Osogbo – The Osun government has revealed that a retired teacher in the state Unity School, Osogbo,  fraudulently collected more than N500, 000 as salary after retirement in July 2010.

Mr Sunday Akere, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, disclosed this while briefing newsmen at the end of the state council executive meeting in Osogbo on Thursday.

He said the fraud was uncovered through the just-concluded verification exercise conducted by the state government.

The commissioner said that consequently, the council issued a query to the principal of the school to explain the circumstances surrounding the drawing of the salary.

He said the council had confirmed the teacher’s retirement from the state teaching service.

In a related development, the commissioner gave a seven-day ultimatum to workers in the state public service to collect their cheques for August salary or forfeit the pay.

He warned that workers who failed to heed the directive would be regarded as ghost workers on the payroll of government.

According to him, the September salary will be paid by the state government without waiting for the September allocation from the Federal Government.

Akere also warned head teachers and principals in public schools to desist from collecting any form of unauthorised levy from students or face the wrath of the law.

He restated the administration’s commitment to free education, stressing that any form of payment under whatever guise was illegal and condemnable. (NAN)