No fewer than 2,000 Ondo State civil servants in the Hospital Management Board, Teaching Service Commission and the Local Government Service Commission will lose their jobs, the state government announced.
According to the government the affected workers were discovered to have been part of a fraudulent payroll dating back to 2020 with a total of N497,733 million discovered to have been stolen.
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu last week ordered the Head of Service, Pastor John Adeyemo, to sack the officers found to be receiving double salaries as well as those involved in other infractions.
He gave the order when he received a report of the Committee on Verification, Scrutinisation and Clean-Up of Ondo State payroll headed by a former Permanent Secretary, Victor Olajorin.
The report showed that 2,000 workers were involved in enhanced salaries steps, 76 workers were discovered to be collecting salaries and pensions and 19, who were ghost workers, were uncovered.
It further discovered that 16 workers were on leave without approval and 29 retired civil servants were still collecting full salaries while waiting to collect their pension.
A civil servant, who celebrated his 50th birthday in 2010, was found to have claimed to have three more years in service when he was supposed to have retired in 2020.
The affected officer has been asked to refund some amount of money he has illegally taken for the period he overstayed in the civil service.
Adeyemo said queries have been issued to the affected workers in line with civil service rules and procedures.
He said the workers would be given the opportunity to defend themselves before sack letters would be issued to them.