Pader — A recent headcount exercise has revealed that there are 57,000 'ghost' pupils in Pader District on whom the government spends money annually.

The exercise also found that many of the 'ghost' pupils are in rural schools which are hard-to-reach during inspection.

The District Education Officer, Mr Charles Amone Banya, said schools have been getting Shs200 million annually under the government's Universal Primary Education (UPE).

Mr Amone said on Monday that in all the 217 UPE schools in the district, only 85,000 pupils are in school out of the 142,000 enrolled.

"It's a terrible situation for the district which should not have happened," he said.

Meanwhile, Omot Sub-county councillor, John Oweka Bostily, told Daily Monitor yesterday that head teachers who registered 'ghost' pupils should be forced to pay back the excess money they have been receiving.

Refund money

"We predict the head teachers have been the direct beneficiaries of the money. They should vomit it," Mr Oweka said.

He said the council would soon discuss the issue to determine the fate of head teachers whose schools have been implicated in the 'ghost' pupils scam.