The Cross River Local Government Service Commission (CRLGSC) has uncovered 800 ghost workers who were still receiving salaries from local government funds.

Chairman of the commission, Mr. Darlington Bassey Eyo, disclosed this to journalists in Calabar after the conclusion of a personnel audit and verification exercise across the state’s 18 local government areas.

Eyo said the audit was part of efforts to sanitise the public service, reduce the state’s wage bill, and ensure that only eligible employees remain on the payroll.

“During the exercise, the commission discovered 800 ghost workers whose names have now been removed from the payroll,” he stated, reaffirming the commission’s commitment to creating a unified, efficient, and productive local government service.

He added that the harmonisation of the payroll would enable timely payment of salaries to staff in their respective areas of assignment.

Eyo also praised Governor Bassey Out for approving the recruitment of new staff into the local government service and dismissed allegations that job slots were being sold.

He directed all local government staff to obtain their voter cards from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in their respective local government areas. (Saturday Guardian)