Cross River State Government clears air on misconception surrounding Civil Service Act, Payroll Audit
The Cross River State Government has cleared the air on the misconception surrounding the civil service Act.
This is was made known during a press briefing by the Head of Civil Service, Dr. Innocent Eteng in his office on Monday, 19th February 2024.
Putting the records straight, the Head of Civil Service stated that the government’s main concern is the welfare of the state’s workforce.
His words “Some miscreants have taken advantage of the situation and spread false information about the act. He wanted to clarify the government’s intentions and set the record straight”
He maintained that Governor Bassey Otu is deeply concerned about the welfare of Cross Riverians, including civil public servants despite the challenges faced by the state such as low statutory allocation and the loss of oil wells adding that Governor Otu has taken measures to support workers.
He said “This includes increasing the salaries of workers and pensioners by ten thousand naira to mitigate the effects of fuel subsidy removal. The governor also expressed the need for promotions to be carried out by the rules and regulations”
Dr. Eteng opined, “The governor himself called for the current comprehensive personnel audit to build trust and ensure accountability in the state public service”
He further explained that, “The intention behind the audit is not to punish or target any civil servant or pensioner. Instead, Governor Otu called for the sanitization of the Cross River payroll system. The governor’s policy aims at placing his priority on the people first mantra, and he wants to ensure that workers are paid promptly without owing them any money.
“Before the current audit exercise, there were misconceptions that the government aimed to downsize the state workforce or replace workers with individuals loyal to the present government during the 2023 election,” he noted.
The Head of Service further maintained that “TtheTheseims were entirely false. He reiterated that Governor Otu’s goal is to prioritize the people and ensure that workers are paid their salaries promptly”
Regarding the audit process, Dr. Eteng highlighted that the previous statewide audit verification, including pensioners, did not yield accurate results.
“The government has also conducted another verification exercise, focusing on bank verification. This involved reviewing workers’ files and matching the nominal role with the payrolls to identify irregularities and disparities. Dr. Eteng reported “That a significant number of people have received their salaries, while those who haven’t have pending issues that need to be sorted”
He also stated that “The payroll audit involved various entities, including state civil servants, local government staff, the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), the Primary Healthcare Development Agency (PHCDA), and pensioners. Out of a total of 53,734 personnel, 48,552 underwent bank verification, and 40,311 have been cleared for salary payment”
Dr. Eteng also addressed the issue of duplicate and repeated names in the payroll, which have been identified and are being resolved.
He emphasized that this audit exercise is aimed at addressing unemployment by incorporating individuals with certificates into the system. The objective is to have a thorough and transparent payroll audit.
He assured the people that the motive behind the exercise was not to witch-hunt any worker in the state. Instead, it aims to ensure that only working individuals receive salaries and to eliminate non-working personnel from the payroll.
Dr. Eteng made it clear that “Governor Otu has not given any instructions to downsize the workforce. On the contrary, the governor has instructed that people should be paid their salaries promptly”
In his conclusion, Dr. Eteng reiterated the government’s commitment to addressing misconceptions and ensuring that workers receive their salaries on time.
Stressing that, “The payroll audit serves as a means to enhance transparency and prevent irregularities in the system. Governor Otu’s vision is for Cross River State workers to enjoy the benefits of democracy and not face salary arrears”
