The Zamfara State Government has identified 2,363 ghost workers following a recently concluded verification of civil and public servants in the state.
According to a statement from Governor Dauda Lawal’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the verification exercise also revealed 220 minors fraudulently receiving monthly salaries as civil servants. The exercise was part of the government’s efforts to streamline the payroll system ahead of implementing the N70,000 minimum wage.
To enhance efficiency in the state’s civil service, Governor Lawal established a high-level committee to scrutinize the payroll. Led by the Zamfara State Head of Service, the committee included key officials such as the Commissioner of Finance, the Chairman of the Zamfara State Labour Union, the Accountant General, the Auditor General, and the Statistician General, with the Executive Secretary of ZITDA serving as secretary.
The committee’s final report, submitted to Governor Lawal, confirmed that 27,109 permanent workers were verified, while 2,363 ghost workers were identified. Additionally, the report flagged:
1,082 civil servants due for retirement, who collectively received N80,542,298.26 monthly.
395 contract staff and 261 workers missing from the nominal roll.
213 workers on study leave and 67 on secondment.
220 minors employed illegally, with 75 of them confirmed to have had falsified appointment dates.
The ghost workers alone were found to have received a total of N193,642,097.19 in monthly salaries, while five workers on secondment continued to receive N354,927.60 monthly.
As part of corrective measures, the committee has recommended the suspension of 207 workers who failed verification, with a combined monthly salary of N16,370,645.90. Additionally, 12 workers were identified as receiving salaries without being in the official database, pocketing N726,594 every month.
The Zamfara government reiterated its commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability in the public sector, stressing that payroll audits would continue, particularly as the state prepares to implement the new minimum wage in March.
