The Abia State Government has dismissed six civil servants from the Ministry of Justice following a detailed internal audit and an administrative inquiry that uncovered fraudulent activities in the payroll system. The dismissed officials manipulated the system, receiving salaries that exceeded their due entitlements.
The affected individuals, all from the Ministry of Justice, include Mr. Dickson Uche Eze, a Principal Accountant (SGL 12), Mrs. Esther Emeruwa, Senior Accountant (SGL 10), Mrs. Ijeoma Jonathan, Chief Executive Officer (Accounts – SGL 14), Mrs. Treasure Isinguzo, Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Accounts – SGL 13), Mrs. Chioma Victoria Erondu, Principal Executive Officer (Accounts – SGL 12), and Mrs. Hannah Ezinne Eze, Senior Executive Officer (General Duties – SGL 09). The disciplinary action was announced by the Chairman of the Abia State Civil Service Commission, Eno Eze, in a statement issued on Thursday.
The state government clarified that the dismissal followed a comprehensive investigation carried out by the State Civil Service Commission. The investigation independently reviewed financial records and conducted interviews with the implicated officers. The findings confirmed that the civil servants had knowingly benefited from irregular salary payments, causing financial loss to the state.
In contrast, Mrs. Chioma Favour Madu, another official who was initially under investigation, was cleared of any wrongdoing. According to the government statement, she had promptly reported the overpayment and took immediate corrective actions to rectify the error.
The investigation also raised serious concerns about the potential involvement of some members of the Salary Committee in the fraudulent activities. As a result, the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has instructed that the Salary Committee’s activities be subjected to a separate investigation to ensure full accountability for their actions.
“These dismissals demonstrate this administration’s unwavering commitment to transparency and its zero-tolerance stance on corruption within the public service,” stated Eno Eze, urging civil servants to report any irregularities through confidential channels to help maintain integrity in the system.
The dismissed officers will be handed over to the relevant law enforcement agencies for prosecution. This development follows a series of anti-corruption measures by the Abia State Government, including the recent declaration by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of Christopher Enweremadu, a former commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, as wanted for alleged criminal conspiracy and money laundering.
