By Kadijatu Bangura, Reporter D.S
The 2023 Audit Report by the Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) has uncovered substantial instances of ghost workers across various government departments, including the Office of the Vice President, the Sierra Leone Police, and the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources. These discrepancies have led to significant financial losses, exacerbating the already fragile state of the country’s economy.
The findings reveal a disturbing mismanagement of public resources, threatening to deepen Sierra Leone’s financial woes. Ghost workers—individuals listed on payrolls but who do not exist or are no longer part of the workforce—raise serious concerns about the effectiveness of public service delivery and governance. The ASSL report details how these fraudulent entries have siphoned off funds that could be better utilized for crucial sectors such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
In particular, the Sierra Leone Police Department was found to have 265 unverified names on its payroll, leading to payments amounting to over NLe 6.6 million, including continued salary payments totaling NLe 130,475.18 to seven staff members who had left the force. The report also implicated the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources, highlighting payments totaling NLe 198,000 to ghost Mines Monitoring Officers, with funds disbursed without verification against official staff lists.
The Office of the Vice President revealed that three ghost workers received salaries totaling NLe 55,424 despite not appearing on the approved staff list. Their names were included on the payroll from the Accountant General’s Department but lacked verification within the Office of the Vice President’s records.
These findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced financial oversight and administrative reforms to address the ghost worker issue and prevent further misuse of public funds. Ghost worker scams not only drain the state’s coffers but also erode public trust in the government’s ability to manage resources effectively. “The financial bleeding caused by these ghost workers is nothing short of a national crisis,” stated one government official who requested anonymity. “We are pouring money into a bottomless pit, and the people suffer when vital services are unavailable.”
As the country grapples with economic challenges, swift and decisive action is crucial. Transparency, accountability, and improved oversight are essential to ensure public funds are used for the betterment of the people rather than wasted through inefficiency and corruption.
ASSL Acting Auditor General Abdul Aziz has recommended that the Assistant Director of Human Resources ensure that these ghost workers present themselves, along with their employment documents, for verification. If they fail to comply, their names should be removed from the payroll, and the funds already paid to them should be recovered. However, many Sierra Leoneans are eager to see how this advice will be implemented, recognizing that tackling ghost workers is no easy task.
Fighting these so-called “ghosts” is akin to battling a phantom enemy—elusive and difficult to confront. The systemic nature of this issue, along with a lack of proper documentation and accountability, complicates efforts to eradicate it. Ghost workers have been deeply embedded in various systems for years, making it an uphill battle to cleanse the payrolls fully.
The ghosts of corruption—whether through the misreporting of workers, fraudulent contracts, or unchecked spending—create an environment where growth is stunted, and resources are siphoned off before they can reach those in need. If left unchecked, this web of deceit and exploitation will continue to hinder Sierra Leone’s economic prosperity and social advancement.
In conclusion, ghost workers have bled the state’s coffers dry, orchestrated by financial vampires who drain state resources for personal gain, all at the expense of the state and its people. The precarious financial position of Sierra Leone today resembles a ship adrift in troubled waters. Despite being rich in resources, the nation struggles to maintain stability and growth. A cocktail of financial mismanagement, corruption, and inefficiency has left the country with little more than a flicker of hope on the horizon.
As the well-known idiom goes, “A stitch in time saves nine.” Had there been proper measures taken earlier to address the root causes of economic mismanagement, we might have avoided the looming crisis. Persistent issues like ghost workers, inadequate revenue collection, and poorly executed procurement processes continue to drain the country’s resources.
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