Zamfara State has identified 2,363 ghost workers following the recently concluded verification of civil and public servants in the state.
The unearthing of the ghost civil servants follows the constitution of a committee by the state governor, and headed by the head of service, to verify the number of civil and public servants in the state government’s payroll in August 2024.
A statement from the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Idris, revealed that the verification process uncovered 220 minors who were receiving monthly salaries as civil servants.
The statement emphasized the importance of the verification exercise as part of the state government’s initiative to implement the N70, 000 minimum wage.
“To enhance the efficiency of the Zamfara State civil and public service, Governor Dauda Lawal formed a high-level committee tasked with verifying the state government’s payroll.
“The verification committee, led by the Zamfara State head of service, included the commissioner of finance, the chairperson of the Zamfara State Labour Union, the accountant general, the auditor general, the statistician general, and the executive secretary of ZITDA as secretary.
“The committee’s main responsibilities included verifying and integrating nominal and payroll systems, as well as creating electronic employee files.
“The final report submitted to Governor Dauda Lawal indicated that 27,109 permanent workers were cleared, while those with questionable employment included 2, 363 ghost workers, 1, 082 civil servants approaching retirement, 395 contract staff, 261 individuals not on the nominal roll, 213 on study leave, 220 minors in employment, and 67 workers on secondment.
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“The report highlighted that 75 workers’ first appointment dates did not match the official issue date, as they were all minors at the time of employment.
“During the verification process, 2, 363 ghost workers were uncovered, who collectively received a total of N193, 642, 097.19 every month.
“Additionally, 1, 082 workers nearing retirement were identified, collecting a total of N80, 542, 298.26 monthly. Five workers found to be on secondment received a monthly payment of N354, 927.60.
“The verification committee recommended the suspension of 207 workers who were not cleared, as they received a combined monthly salary of N16, 370, 645.90.
“The committee also found 12 workers on the payroll who were not in the database, receiving a monthly salary of N726, 594.
“These verification exercises are ongoing efforts to monitor the Zamfara workforce and ensure transparency and accountability in public service, especially as minimum wage payments are set to begin in March of this year,” the statement said.
