Protesting workers have indicted the Commissioner of Information in the alleged employment racketeering in the local government areas of Benue State, particularly Obi Local Government.
The accusation that Mr Odeh Ageh is responsible for their employment back in 2010 when he was the Local Government Chairman, is contained in new documents revealed by the aggrieved workers, following the directive by Governor Samuel Ortom to prosecute the syndicates.
The protesting workers urged the Governor to start by questioning his Commissioner of Information who employed them in 2010, instead of looking for a sacrificial lamb to take the fall.
Over 800 staff of Obi Local Government had been declared as ghost workers by the Benue State government and few days ago they protested over the non-payment of 14 months salaries.
The protest did not go down well with the government officials who insisted that they were not legitimate staff.
Governor Samuel Ortom, while reacting to the report shown on Channels Television, ordered for the arrest of the officials responsible for the alleged illegal employment.
This directive to arrest and prosecute the culprits led to the protesting workers coming out with proof that, the current Commissioner of Information employed them in 2010 when he was the Local Government Chairman.
The workers insisted that they were duly employed in 2010 with proof of confirmation letters received in 2013, when Mr Ageh had left office as Chairman.
The man in the eye of the storm, Mr Odeh Ageh, has denied any wrong doing, as he explained his role in the whole saga.
The Governor is yet to react to these recent revelations.
The uncovering of ghost workers has become a popular exercise since President Buhari came into office.
It is part of the agenda of the APC-led government to block leakages in government revenue and cut wastage in expenditure.
The Federal Government has encouraged all states to also carry out an audit of their payroll in order to curb over bloated wage bills on the states.
