The Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, on Friday in Yenagoa set up a nine-member judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the falsification of government payroll and other accounts.

He explained that the measure is part of his efforts to sanitise the civil service and entrench corporate governance in the state.

Workers under the aegis of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) have expressed satisfaction with the governor’s decision, saying that apart from restoring sanity in the system and blocking leakages, it would also save the state from impoverishment by crooks.

Justice Doris Adokeme is the chairperson of the commission while Mr. Victor Slaboh is secretary. Other members are Chief Amos Poubenafa; Mr. Olodiama Jebba representing the Ministry of Justice and Mr. Anthony Ikhobo representing the State Treasury; Raymond Angaye representing the Office of the Head of Service; Mr Kehinde Akingbade; Miss Erebi Bibobra and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Assayomo Tuesday.

The commission, which has 60 days to conclude its assignment, is to extend its investigation into payroll fraud to the eight LG councils of the state.

Dickson, while inaugurating the commission at the Executive Council Chambers of Government House, gave an eight-point term of reference to its members, with a charge on them to investigate in full the circumstances surrounding the state's payroll of public servants from 2003 till date.

While describing the task before the commission as important and sensitive to the survival of Bayelsa State, he mandated its members to also uncover the person or persons, cartel or gang involved in the suspected fraudulent distortion of the payroll and nominal roll of public servants from 2003 till date.

The commission is expected, among other things, to “reveal the identities of the perpetrators of the suspected fraudulent falsification of salaries in ministries, departments and agencies of government as well as determine, where possible, the exact amount of government money that may have been lost through the criminal activity.”

According to Dickson, the commission has the responsibility to uncover the method employed by the suspected perpetrators in depriving government of large sums of money.

The governor urged the committee members to recommend measures to recover such stolen funds.

He also called on the commission to make any recommendation as it may deem fit to strengthen government accounting and payroll procedures for the future, adding that such measures have become imperative to block leakages of government funds in view of the prevailing economic challenges.

•Photo shows Governor Dickson.

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