Following the directive by the Auditor General of Kogi State, Alhaji Yusuf Okala, Zenith Bank has agreed to open for business on Saturday, July 17th to attend to Kogi state workers, who started getting three more months’ backlog of their salaries from the government today.
According to the Auditor General, who explained the circumstances behind the just concluded staff screening in Government House, Lokoja, workers who are getting three months now had already been paid one month two weeks ago.
He said that the currently delays experienced was due to the desired to completely clean the Kogi State pay roll of ghost workers, fraudsters and other leakages.
He further explained that a total of over 5, 550 names have been cleared for payment and have begun receiving three months’ pay since Monday, July 11th.
“We had a meeting with the Zenith Bank officials and they have agreed to work between 9am and 5pm this Saturday, just to attend to Kogi workers.
“They have agreed to bring in more hands from all over the state to enable them attend to everyone coming this weekend. As I speak to you, we paid 1, 851 people additional three months’ salaries last Monday. Right now, 3, 706 more people will get theirs today.
“So, if you need to do any documentation at the bank, just go to Zenith Bank and give your details and you will be promptly attended to.”
Okala said that all found to have defrauded the state via salaries will be prosecuted. He said the cumulative list of all staff, both cleared and uncleared, will be made public as soon as Governor Yahaya Bello gives his approval.
Meanwhile, reports reaching us indicated that Zenith Bank has only been operating in Lokoja and that alert is not received in its branches around the state.
The teachers, especially secondary schools teachers are already complaining that they have not received a kobo till now. [myad]
