The chairman of the commission, Mr. Vincent Ezeaka, revealed these developments during a press briefing at the commission’s office in Awka on Thursday. He explained that the fraudulent activities were uncovered during an ongoing verification and staff biometrics identification exercise. This exercise is being conducted by a four-person committee led by Dr. (Mrs.) Ndidi Onuigbo, a retired Permanent Secretary.

Additionally, two former staff members who had been illegally collecting salaries while working elsewhere have been ordered to refund the money. One of these individuals was employed by the state-owned Nwafor-Orizu College of Education at Nsugbe, and the other by Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka. Both had been drawing salaries from the commission for four years.

Ezeaka emphasized that the verification exercise, conducted between January and April 2024, has successfully identified and removed 222 ghost workers from the local government service commission. He highlighted that this initiative aligns with Governor Chukwuma Soludo's administration’s agenda to ensure transparency and accountability within the local government workforce.

The chairman also noted that the two former staff members who fraudulently received salaries will be prosecuted as per the directives of the state government. Their names, however, were not disclosed to the media.