Imo State Government Rebuts NULGE's Threat of Industrial Action

The Imo State Government has accused the National Union of Local government Employees (NULGE) of attempting to divert attention from their alleged role in a payroll fraud scandal in the state's local government system. According to the state commissioner for information and strategy, Declan Emelumba, the union's threat of industrial action is a panic measure aimed at deflecting attention from the government's ongoing verification of e-payment of salaries, which has exposed widespread fraud in the payrolls.

Key Takeaways:

• The Imo State Government has accused NULGE of being involved in a payroll fraud scandal in the state's local government system.
• The union's threat of industrial action is allegedly a panic measure to divert attention from the government's ongoing verification of e-payment of salaries.
• The government claims that 50% of the payroll entries submitted by the different councils were fraudulent.
• The verification of e-payment of salaries has exposed widespread fraud, including double salary and wage head entries, multiple BVN entries for the same names, and multiple nominal roll entries.
• The commissioner alleged that NULGE's aim was to divert attention from the outcome of the verification, which would indict their members in the fraud.
• The state government has saved over N300 million monthly for development projects by ridding the local government system of endemic fraud.

Statistics:

• 50% of the payroll entries submitted by the different councils were fraudulent.
• The state government has saved over N300 million monthly for development projects.
• The verification of e-payment of salaries was not physically conducted, but rather through BVN, account number, and other e-payment requirements.

Sources:

• "Imo Government Accuses NULGE of Payroll Fraud" by the Imo State Government (Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba).
• The statement from the official website of the Imo State Government.