The Cross River State government has identified 2,000 ghost pensioners on its payroll, as announced in a recent statement from the Government House.
Naija News learnt that these fraudulent entries have been linked to delays in settling unpaid gratuities from 2014 to 2024.
Governor Bassey Otu had previously established a committee tasked with reviewing the payroll of retired civil and public servants to eliminate pension fraud.
On Friday, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Otu informed the press about the committee’s discovery of these ghost pensioners. 
Although the identities of those involved in the pension fraud have not been disclosed, Nsa Gill, a government representative, stated, “The audit and verification exercise has so far uncovered over 2,000 ghost pensioners, who have consequently been removed from both the State and Local Government Pensions Payrolls.”
Nsa Gill further mentioned that with the verification process nearing completion, the payment of gratuities is scheduled to begin in August 2024.
The committee, led by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), is expected to submit its report to the government within a week of its first meeting.
The spokesperson also announced that Governor Bassey Edet Otu has approved ₦10 billion to address the outstanding gratuity payments for retired civil and public servants in the state.
Additionally, the Governor has approved the formation of a committee comprising executives from the State and Local Government Pension Unions, headed by the SSG.
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