There was surprise and concern in Yobe State as over 5,000 civil servants failed to show up for a staff screening exercise aimed at verifying the actual workforce of the state government.
According to the report submitted by the screening committee, out of 32,140 civil servants expected to participate in the exercise, a total of 5,029 were absent. The screening, which started in June 2024 and concluded on February 28, 2025, was designed to ensure accuracy in government payroll and personnel records.
Committee Raises Questions Over Absenteeism
Alhaji Bukar Kilo, the Chairman of the Screening Committee and the Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Office, presented the findings on Tuesday in Damaturu. He revealed that only 27,111 employees participated in the exercise, leaving a significant number unaccounted for.
“This situation raises concerns about the authenticity of our staff records,” Kilo stated while submitting the committee’s report to the Head of Civil Service.
He noted that the absentees failed to submit their bio-data forms, which were a crucial requirement for the verification process. This development has led to suspicions that some of the names on the government payroll might be ghost workers.
Government Moves to Address the Issue
To address the discrepancies, Kilo recommended that the state government set up a Verification Committee to further investigate the matter. The proposed committee would be responsible for ensuring that all absentees provide their original credentials, employment records, and salary statements for the past six months.
He further warned that any civil servant who failed to comply with the verification process would have their salary suspended until they could prove their employment status.
“We need to ensure that only genuine workers receive salaries from the government,” he stated.
Concerns Over Ghost Workers and Payroll Fraud
The revelation that over 5,000 civil servants did not participate in the screening has raised fresh concerns over the issue of ghost workers in Yobe State. Ghost workers refer to individuals who receive salaries from the government without actually working. In many cases, these names appear on the payroll due to fraudulent activities by corrupt officials.
This is not the first time a Nigerian state has uncovered irregularities in its civil service records. Several states have conducted similar exercises in the past and discovered that large sums of money were being lost to ghost workers. The issue has been a major challenge in Nigeria, where efforts to sanitize the public sector payroll have often been met with resistance.
Previous Efforts to Tackle Payroll Fraud in Nigeria
The problem of ghost workers is not new in Nigeria. Over the years, different administrations at the federal and state levels have tried to tackle the issue through various reforms and technology-driven verification systems.
For example, in 2016, the Federal Government introduced the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) to curb fraudulent salary payments. Through this system, thousands of ghost workers were discovered, leading to significant cost savings for the government.
Similarly, states like Kano, Kaduna, and Kogi have implemented biometric verification exercises that have helped expose ghost workers and inflated payrolls. These efforts have resulted in the recovery of billions of naira that were previously lost to fraudulent salary payments.
Yobe State’s latest screening exercise appears to be part of these broader efforts to ensure that only legitimate workers are paid. However, the high number of absentees has sparked speculation about whether some employees deliberately avoided the process to conceal irregularities.
Implications for Yobe State’s Civil Service
The findings from the screening exercise could have major implications for the state government. If it is confirmed that a significant number of the absent civil servants do not exist or have left their jobs without formal resignation, the government may take steps to clean up its payroll system.
One immediate action the state government could take is to suspend the salaries of all those who failed to participate in the screening until they prove their employment status. This could lead to major cost savings for the government and free up funds for other developmental projects.
Additionally, civil servants who are found to have fraudulently remained on the payroll despite not working could face disciplinary measures, including dismissal and legal action.
Reactions from Civil Servants and Stakeholders
The screening committee’s report has sparked mixed reactions among civil servants and stakeholders in the state. While some workers see the exercise as a necessary step to weed out ghost workers and ensure transparency, others have expressed concerns about possible mistakes in the verification process.
Some civil servants have claimed that their absence during the screening was due to unavoidable circumstances such as illness, official assignments outside the state, or lack of proper communication about the exercise. They have called on the government to allow for an appeal process where genuine workers who missed the screening can present their documents and be reinstated.
On the other hand, anti-corruption advocates and financial experts have welcomed the screening results, saying they highlight the need for continuous monitoring of the civil service payroll. They argue that if properly handled, the exercise could lead to improved efficiency in the state’s public service and a reduction in wastage of government funds.
Next Steps for the Yobe State Government
As the Yobe State government reviews the report, it is expected that decisive action will be taken to address the issue. The recommendation to set up a Verification Committee is likely to be considered, and civil servants who failed to participate in the screening may be given a final opportunity to clarify their status.
If ghost workers are discovered, the government may also move to prosecute those involved in payroll fraud. This could serve as a warning to those who engage in corrupt practices within the civil service.
Furthermore, experts have suggested that the state should adopt digital payroll systems, similar to the IPPIS, to prevent future occurrences of such irregularities. By using biometric verification and centralized salary processing, the government can minimize the chances of ghost workers infiltrating the system.
