Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has approved the dismissal of six officials from the state’s Ministry of Justice following allegations of payroll manipulation and financial misconduct.

The decision, communicated through a letter signed by the Chairman of the Abia State Civil Service Commission, Mrs. Eno Eze, comes after an internal audit and administrative inquiry revealed that the affected officers illegally altered the ministry’s payroll system to collect excess salaries.

Those dismissed include:

  • Mr. Dickson Uche Eze – 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)
  • Mrs. Hannah Ezinne Eze – Senior Executive Officer, General Duties (SGL 09)

The Civil Service Commission noted that their removal followed the outcome of a broader review into the state’s finances, which confirmed that they benefitted from irregular payments at the expense of government resources.

Mrs. Eze disclosed that the dismissal was also informed by an independent investigation conducted by the Abia Civil Service Commission, which established that some members of the Ministry’s Salary Committee may have aided the fraudulent activities.

“Additionally, the investigation raised serious concerns about the possible complicity of some members of the Salary Committee in the fraudulent scheme. The governor has directed that the activities of the committee be subjected to a separate probe to ensure full accountability,” Eze stated.

One of the officers initially investigated, Chioma Favour Madu, was exonerated after it was discovered that she had promptly reported cases of overpayment and took steps to correct them.

The Civil Service Commission confirmed that the dismissed officials would be handed over to relevant law enforcement agencies for prosecution.

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