Business
Kwara Council Discovers 339 Ghost Workers
Alhaji Luqman Owolewa, the Chairman of Irepodun Local Government Council in Kwara, yesterday, said the council discovered 339 “ghost workers” on its monthly pay roll.
Owolewa told newsmen in Omu-Aran, headquarters of the council, that an audit committee would soon be set up to scrutinise the council’s pay system.
He said the audit committee became necessary in order to fish out more “ghost workers” and correct other anomalies in the council’s pay process.
The chairman said that the result of his assessment of the workers few weeks after assumption of duty showed that out of the 839 workers on the council’s pay roll, only 500 were genuine staff members.
He added that “when I assumed duty in November, I was surprised at the few number of workers reporting for duty and this prompted my undertaking a personal assessment to know what was wrong.
“I immediately ordered the stoppage of the salaries of those workers we could not identify physically.
“It was there that we discovered lots of discrepancies in the council’s past employment processes and we found out that only 500 of the 839 workers of the council were genuine staff members.”
Owolewa said N2.5 million was now saved monthly following the process embarked upon to regularise the pay system.
He noted that the council had embarked on the execution of some community-based projects with direct impact on the lives of the people in the area.
He listed some of the projects to include the rehabilitation of township roads, boreholes, culverts and drains to enhance human and vehicular movement.
He urged unemployed youths in the area to register with the council for an opportunity to get a job as the state government was in the process of employing no fewer than 800 youths.
Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.
Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.
The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.
Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.
“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.
“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”
Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.
In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.
Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.
Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.
