The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Abia State has challenged the State government to publish the names and account details of the recently discovered ghost workers in the state public service.
The opposition party claimed only the publication of names, bank details and addresses of the discovered ghost workers would convince the party to believe in such discoveries.
The challenge was thrown by Elder Amah Abraham, the Vice Chairman of the Abia PDP on Tuesday evening.
Abraham described the news that 2,300 ghost workers were discovered in the state’s civil service and that N220 million was saved as falsehood, claiming that Governor Alex Otti and his party, the LP used the story to curry public sympathy and divert attention from the serious business of governance.
His statement read in part, “The purported discovery of ghost workers without accompanying proof of the names and account numbers of the ghost beneficiaries is not only childish but a plot that leads to nowhere.
” Abia PDP challenges Governor Alex Otti and his team of discoverers to publish the names of the over 2000 ghost workers with their BVN numbers, addresses and other details and ministries, departments and agencies of the government that purportedly employed them; to shame them and possibly bring the culprits to justice.”
According to Abraham, nobody was paid with cash during the administration of former Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, as in his words, payment of such were made through dedicated bank accounts with Bank Verification Number and other personal information.
When contacted for comments, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Otti, Ferdinand Ekeoma did not pick calls put across to his line.
He did not also reply to a WhatsApp message sent to him at the time of this report.
But a top member of the Labour Party who did not want his name in print alleged that the PDP was only swimming in self-imposed guilt.
The LP top brass advised the Abia opposition party to allow Governor Otti weed out ghost workers from the State’s civil service system.
