In a significant move to sanitize the local government workforce, the Delta State Local Government Service Commission has uncovered numerous cases of ghost workers—employees who have left the country for years but continue to receive salaries.
Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Joseph Otirhue, made this disclosure during an interactive session with journalists in Asaba on May 9, 2025. He revealed that a recent comprehensive verification exercise conducted by the Commission exposed the malpractice, prompting the immediate removal of such individuals from the councils’ payroll.
“Earlier this year, we embarked on a general verification exercise to identify those who actually show up for work and those who don’t,” Dr. Otirhue explained. “You can’t have government spending heavily on salaries while the productivity doesn’t reflect it. We discovered workers who had long travelled abroad yet were still collecting pay. Their names have since been deleted from the system—no work, no pay.”
He added that the Commission also removed the names of deceased employees, retirees, and others found guilty of dereliction of duty. According to him, the exercise has already saved a substantial amount of money for local government councils.
Dr. Otirhue emphasized that the Commission remains committed to its statutory duties of recruitment, promotion, and discipline of local government staff across Delta State. “We won’t hesitate to take disciplinary action against erring staff. Accountability and performance are non-negotiable,” he stated.
Highlighting other achievements, Dr. Otirhue noted that the Commission has made significant investments in training and retraining its personnel to enhance service delivery. “We believe that knowledge is power. With the training provided, many staff have improved their job performance tremendously,” he said.
Describing local government workers as key stakeholders in grassroots governance, Dr. Otirhue praised their role in project execution, policymaking, and administrative efficiency. He also affirmed that the Commission maintains a strong and productive relationship with council chairmen across the state.
He concluded by commending the developmental efforts of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration since taking office on May 29, 2023, noting that the government’s support has been instrumental in enabling reforms at the local government level.