..as 600 Pensioners found Sharing Bank Account
The Cross River State Audit Service Commission and the heads of the State's audit institutions have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening accountability, transparency and administrative efficiency in the public service.
The commitment followed a courtesy visit to the Head of Service, Mr Orok Okon, by the Chairman of the Audit Service Commission, Dr Christopher Etim Nyong, who was accompanied by the Auditors-General for the State and Local Governments, Commissioners and the Secretary of the Commission.
Dr Nyong said the visit was aimed at fostering stronger institutional collaboration to address irregularities in payroll and pension administration, close systemic loopholes and strengthen financial management across the civil and public service. He added that it was also meant to reaffirm the partnership and synergy among statutory bodies entrusted with critical governance responsibilities.
He noted that while audit institutions promote public accountability and financial oversight, the Office of the Head of Service drives administrative productivity and workforce management, making sustained collaboration essential for an efficient and result-oriented service.
Responding, Mr Okon described the engagement as timely and commended the delegation for its commitment to checking financial misconduct.
He disclosed that the recently concluded digital payroll and pension verification exercise uncovered significant discrepancies, including more than 600 pensioners who used the same bank accounts to receive multiple payments from both the State and Local Government payrolls.
He also revealed cases in which pension payments were processed but did not reach the rightful beneficiaries owing to lapses at the Local Government level, as well as civil servants earning far above their approved grade levels.
Mr Okon confirmed, however, that more than 53,000 civil servants and pensioners have been successfully captured on the new digital platform. He added that the full report would be made available to the Audit Service Commission and the Offices of the Auditors-General for further action once data cleaning is completed.
In his remarks, the Auditor-General for the State, Mr Effiong Ita, commended the Head of Service for what he called remarkable reforms in the public service.
He warned that civil servants who exploit systemic loopholes would face sanctions in accordance with the law.
Similarly, the Auditor-General for Local Governments, Mr Bassey Eko, assured of his office's commitment to supporting the administration of Governor Bassey Edet Otu, stressing that the audit institutions would not disappoint in the discharge of their mandates.
Mr Eko also disclosed that a similar verification exercise across the Local Government system uncovered more than 600 officers receiving salaries above their grade levels. He said immediate reviews and downward adjustments have taken effect from October 2026.
Both Auditors-General reaffirmed their resolve to work with the Head of Service to entrench financial controls, transparent payroll processes and proper pension administration across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and the Local Government system.
The meeting, which was also attended by senior directors from the Office of the Head of Service, underscored the shared commitment to eliminating financial leakages, protecting public resources and promoting an efficient and transparent public service.
