Speaking to reporters in Awka, Ezeaka detailed the findings of a recent audit, revealing that among the ghost workers identified, 59 were deceased, five were residing abroad, and 40 were retired but still drawing salaries from two state tertiary institutions.

The audit, spanning all 21 local government areas of the state, also highlighted that 222 of the ghost workers could not be traced to any council area.

Ezeaka attributed the discovery to a rigorous verification exercise initiated by the commission, led by a retired permanent secretary. This initiative, aimed at sanitizing the state's civil service, uncovered discrepancies and irregularities in payroll management.

"We will ensure that those involved face the full consequences as stipulated by civil service regulations," Ezeaka affirmed. "We have already taken steps to remove individuals living abroad from the payroll."

In addition to the ghost workers, the commission also addressed issues of fake certificates within the service. Ezeaka reported that a committee identified and dismissed several employees, including deputy directors and local government treasurers, for presenting fraudulent educational credentials.

"Out of 20 persons claiming certificates from Imo State University, we found that 6 were fake after thorough scrutiny," Ezeaka stated. "Our goal is to uphold integrity in the civil service and ensure that genuine workers receive due recognition for their contributions."

Emphasizing that the exercise was not intended to target individuals unfairly, Ezeaka reiterated that it was a necessary step towards restoring transparency and accountability within Anambra's administrative framework.