The Gombe State Civil Service Commission has launched an eight-week physical verification exercise for more than 7,000 civil servants as part of efforts to sanitize the state workforce and establish a comprehensive digital personnel database.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Gombe, the commission’s Chairperson, Rabi Jimeta, said the exercise was initiated to address long-standing concerns about the integrity of personnel records and manpower management in the state.
“Over time, concerns have been raised regarding the integrity of personnel records, cases of officers overstaying beyond their statutory retirement age or length of service, and inadequate data on staff deployment, secondment, and vacancies across ministries, departments, and agencies,” Jimeta stated.
She emphasized that the verification was not a witch-hunt but a necessary step toward transparency and efficiency.
“This exercise is meant to authenticate personnel records, identify irregularities, and provide a reliable database of civil servants for informed decision-making,” she explained.
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Jimeta noted that the screening will cover both junior and senior cadre officers, while judicial staff, medical personnel, and teachers are exempted from the process.
She highlighted that the exercise will enhance payroll integrity, curb wastage, strengthen discipline, and improve transparency and accountability within the civil service.
It will also support the state government’s strategic workforce planning initiatives.
Each civil servant is expected to appear before the verification panel with original and authentic documents, including their letter of first appointment, permanent and pensionable appointment letter, birth certificate or age declaration, personal subhead number, last promotion letter, and other relevant credentials such as BVN, NIN slips, and local government indigene certificate.
Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Gombe State chapter, Yusuf Bello, described the exercise as a “welcome development,” and pledged the union’s full support.
He condemned the ghost worker syndrome, stressing that eliminating such cases would create opportunities for new recruitments and inject fresh energy into the state’s workforce.
Some civil servants who spoke to journalists expressed optimism about the verification, saying it would restore confidence and efficiency in the system.
