Kano loses N18.1m monthly to “ghost” street cleaners

The Kano State Government has uncovered 1,830 ghost workers out of the 2,490 casual workers engaged as street cleaners by the state Refuse Management and Sanitation Board making government lose N18.1 million monthly.

The state Commissioner for Information, Garba Mohammed, disclosed this in an interview in Kano on Saturday.
He said the figure was presented to the State Executive Council during its meeting on Wednesday by the committee recently set up to verify the actual number of the workers.
“According to the committee’s report, out of the 2,490 casual workers of the board, 1,830 are ghost workers.
“So, based on the report, the state government was losing N18.1 million monthly and this is one of the allegations that led to the setting up of the committee to investigate the issue.
‘’You will be surprised to know that for the past three years, the people had been siphoning the money every month,’’ he said.
He disclosed that names of about six directors, alleged to have been involved in the scandal, had been forwarded to the office of the Head of Civil Service, for appropriate disciplinary action.
‘’The office of the Head of Service will investigate their individual involvement with a view to coming up with appropriate punishment,’’ he said.
Similarly, he said, the executive council had approved the release of over N16 million for the construction of drains at Koki and Abattoir quarters in the metropolis.
According to him, the Council also approved N166 million for the purchase of 10 tippers for evacuation of refuse.
“In addition, the Council has approved the release of N36.1 million for the purchase of 50 tricycles for the evacuation of refuse in the metropolis,’’ he said.
(NAN)