Zamfara State Government Confronts Ghost Workers and Salary Challenges
The Zamfara State Government is facing a daunting task in its bid to identify and eliminate ghost workers from its civil service. According to the State Head of Service, Barrister Ahmad Liman, the government is struggling to determine the exact number of civil servants in the state due to the prevalence of ghost workers.
The problem is most pronounced in the health and education sectors, where ghost workers are allegedly receiving salaries. Speaking to newsmen, the HoS revealed that a recent verification exercise in a hospital revealed that only two out of 22 health workers were genuine, highlighting the magnitude of the issue.
A verification exercise is currently underway to ascertain the number of workers in the state civil service, with the goal of concluding the process by the end of November 2024. Once complete, a committee on salary will be established to implement the state government’s plans.
The HoS attributed the problem to unsolved issues inherited from the previous government, including faulty implementation of the 2019 minimum wage of N30,000. As soon as the verification and salary committees submit their reports, the state government plans to implement the new minimum wage of N70,000.
The government is keenly aware that implementing the new minimum wage is contingent on knowing the accurate number of civil servants in the state. Until then, the HoS emphasized that progress on salary reforms will be stalled.
