Rev. Fr. Leonard Ojorgu of the St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Ediba, on Sunday advised governments at all levels to eliminate ghost workers from their payroll.
At a church sermon in Calabar on Sunday, Ojorgu said this would increase employment in the country and pave way for qualified graduates into the civil service.
He said that the unemployment situation in the country would be addressed when governments initiate the right job creation policies.
According to him, the ghost workers’ syndrome was perpetrated in order to steal public funds, adding that this had denied youths opportunities to serve their father land.
The assistant priest, who drew his homily from the book of Matthew 20:1-16, also urged youths to be more enterprising rather than searching solely for white collar jobs.
He blamed youth unemployment for the rising crime rate in the country, stressing the need for government to devise means to stem the tide for a better future.
“It is a pity that ghost workers have taken over huge slots in government’s payroll while real persons with genuine certificates are roaming around without jobs.
“The government must rise to these challenges by eliminating the ghost workers’ syndrome in order to open ways for our teeming unemployed youths.
“The youths on their part must not wait for white collar jobs. There is nothing bad in being a welder, barber, tailor or an electrician.
“Manna will not fall from heaven. Favour does not operate in isolation; you have to move and keep yourself busy,’’ he said