The Zamfara state Governor Dauda Lawal constituted a committee headed by the state Head of Service in August 2024 with the mandate to conduct the verification exercise of state workers.
Statement by the governor’s spokesman, Sulaiman Idris, revealed that the verification process exposed 220 minors receiving monthly pay as civil servants.
The statement noted that the verification exercise was necessary due to the state government’s efforts to implement the N70,000 minimum wage.
Idris said, The committee’s final report submitted to Governor Dauda Lawal highlighted that 27,109 permanent workers were cleared while workers with questionable employment include 2,363 ghost workers, 1082 civil servants who are due for retirement, 395 contract staff, 261 not on the nominal roll, 213 people on study leave, 220 minors in employment, and 67 workers on secondment.
During the verification, 2,363 ghost workers were exposed. They were been paid a total sum of N193,642,097.19 every month.
1082 workers are due for retirement, and they receive a total sum of N80,542,298.26 monthly. At the same time, five workers found to be on secondment were paid monthly N354,927.60.
The verification committee recommended suspending 207 workers who were not cleared. They are paid a total salary of N16,370,645.90 monthly, the committee found 12 workers names on the payroll but not in the database and they received a monthly salary of N726,594.
These verification exercises are ongoing efforts to monitor the Zamfara state workforce and ensure transparency and accountability in service, especially as the minimum wage payments begin in March 2025
According to him most of the ghost workers are mainly in the health sectors and educational sectors, and the verification is still ongoing in the state.