The Delta State Civil Service Commission has sacked more than 200 civil servants after uncovering cases of age falsification and questionable credentials in a sweeping verification and screening exercise aimed at cleaning up the state’s workforce.
Speaking to journalists in Asaba, the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission and head of the screening committee, Chief Roseline Amioku, revealed that the crackdown is part of broader civil service reforms by the state government to boost efficiency, eliminate fraud, and ensure only qualified individuals remain in service.
According to Chief Amioku, the verification exercise uncovered a disturbing trend where many public servants who should have retired years ago are still actively on the payroll after manipulating their age records. Some, she noted, went as far as reducing their age to the extent that their children are now officially older than them.
“We have received numerous whistleblower reports,” she said. “Our investigations into personnel files confirmed that hundreds of civil servants, some of whom should have retired over five years ago, are still in active service. The manipulation of age and credentials has been rampant, and the state cannot continue to pay salaries to those who are no longer eligible to serve.”
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She confirmed that over 200 civil servants have already been forced into immediate retirement, with more likely to follow as the verification process continues. So far, less than half of the entire workforce has been screened, with the exercise expected to run into next year.
Amioku dismissed public speculations that the state government is arbitrarily forcing workers out of the civil service to reduce its wage bill. She stressed that the screening is focused on restoring integrity and discipline to the public sector, not punishing innocent workers.
“This is not political. It’s about doing the right thing. We are committed to cleaning up the system to make room for transparency, accountability, and better governance,” she added.
The development has triggered mixed reactions across the state, especially from those affected. Some of the affected workers have accused the government of using the screening exercise as a cover to downsize and slash personnel costs. However, officials maintain that only those who falsified documents or exceeded the statutory retirement age have been affected.
