Ondo LG boss decries job scam

[Punch]

The newly appointed Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, Mr. Victor Olotu, has decried the alleged illegal recruitment carried out by the sacked council bosses across the state.

The state government, through a committee, recently announced that it had uncovered over 6, 000 workers illegally recruited in the 18 councils in the state by the chairmen of the various caretaker committees. The offending chairmen were relieved of their positions two weeks ago.

Further findings by the panel also revealed that most of the personnel recruited were immediate family members of the chairmen, especially their wives and children in primary schools, who were drawing salaries as senior civil servants.

But Olotu, who spoke with our correspondent on Monday, condemned the action of the former council bosses and lamented that the development had further depleted the lean purse of the councils.

Rather than engaging in such act, the new Ose council boss noted that his predecessors should have initiated pragmatic approach to job and wealth creation in line with the Caring Heart policy of  the Governor Olusegun Mimiko administration.

Olotu, who was feted by his kinsmen at his Ido-Ani town on Saturday, pledged that his administration would act according to the limits of its powers as local council administrator in order to ensure that youths are productively engaged.

"We have mapped out our plans and strategies which we intend to implement in such a way that we will meet our obligations to our people without further depleting the lean purse of the council in the name of political patronage," he said.

The Punch