Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum has directed disciplinary action after a verification committee identified 21 health workers, among whom were nurses, operating with fake certificates.
The committee had also found 91 ghost workers in different health institutions across the state.
Chairman of the committee, Dr. Joseph Jatau revealed this on Monday in Maiduguri, while presenting the committee’s report to Governor Zulum at the governor’s office annex located in Musa Usman (workers) secretariat.
Dr Jatau explained that among those with fake certificates were some nurses, and other medical and support staff.
The chairman also disclosed that 91 ghost health workers exists in the state, who had either resigned or withdrawn from service, while salaries were being paid in their names.
He noted that over N23m was discovered as being wrongly spent on monthly basis.
The committee chairman further explained that the committee found out that some dead, retired and absconded staff were being consistently promoted with salaries also paid in their names.
In the light of its findings, the committee made 13 recommendations that could help reposition the Hospital Management Board (HMB) for optimal healthcare service delivery in Borno.
Zulum was happy with the discovery but worried that some health workers could use fake certificates, despite the risk of handling the health issues of citizens, without prerequisite training and certification.
“Anyone that fakes certificates in nursing and other medical courses is capable of killing people. Only God knows how many people they might have harmed or even killed. Honestly, we shouldn’t let this go, we should ensure appropriate actions are served to the culprits. I cannot be lenient on matters involving life and death. Importantly also, we have to employ measures to avert future occurrences,” Zulum said.