“The revelations that ghost names exist on the Judicial Service payroll and that attempts are under way to get rid of them, is disturbing yet welcome news. Earlier in the year 2001, representatives of some donor agencies and countries called on the Ministry of Education (MOE) to remove ghost names from its payroll if aid to the Ministry was to continue. For a ministry that derives nearly 50 percent of budgetary support from donors, it is understandable that the Minister took the donors’ concern seriously and acted swiftly. The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) initiated moves to get rid of ghost names from district assemblies’ payroll.’ And the Auditor- General’s Department also embarked on a hunt for ‘ghost pensioners’. The overriding need to inject greater accountability for, and discipline in, public spending, has suddenly kindled some interest in ghost names on the public sector payroll.”
