Abia rocked by payroll fraud scandal as six Justice Ministry officers are sacked. Governor Otti orders probe into salary committee in fresh anti-corruption push.
A major corruption scandal has rocked Abia State as the government announced the dismissal of six senior officers from the Ministry of Justice for allegedly masterminding a payroll fraud scheme that drained public funds.
The shocking revelation was made on Thursday by Eno Eze, Chairman of the Abia State Civil Service Commission, who confirmed that an internal audit uncovered deliberate manipulation of salary systems by the indicted officials.
The Dismissed Officers
Those affected by the sweeping purge include:
Dickson Uche Eze, Principal Accountant (SGL 12)
Esther Emeruwa, Senior Accountant (SGL 10)
Ijeoma Jonathan, Chief Executive Officer, Accounts (SGL 14)
Treasure Isinguzo, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Accounts (SGL 13)
Chioma Victoria Erondu, Principal Executive Officer, Accounts (SGL 12)
Hannah Ezinne Eze, Senior Executive Officer, General Duties (SGL 09)
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Investigators concluded that the officers knowingly benefitted from irregular salary payments at the expense of the state treasury.
One Officer Vindicated
Interestingly, the probe cleared Chioma Favour Madu, who had earlier been under investigation, after she promptly reported her salary overpayment and took steps to return the funds.
Otti Orders Crackdown on Salary Committee
The scandal has now widened, with suspicions pointing to the possible involvement of the state’s salary committee. Governor Alex Otti has ordered a full-scale investigation into its activities to unravel deeper complicity.
Eze revealed that the dismissed officials will be handed over to law enforcement agencies for prosecution. He stressed that the decision underscores Governor Otti’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption in the civil service.
Otti’s Anti-Corruption Reforms
This latest purge adds to Governor Otti’s ongoing reforms aimed at cleansing Abia’s public service of systemic rot. Since assuming office, he has championed transparency, accountability, and prudent management of state resources — a policy direction many observers say is restoring public confidence in governance. With this crackdown, the administration sends a strong signal that corrupt practices will no longer be tolerated in Abia State.
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