Jigawa Uncovers 7,000 Ghost Workers On Its Payroll

No fewer than 7,000 ghost workers have been uncovered on the payroll of the Jigawa State.

The discovery, according to the state government, was made during a verification of state employees working in various agencies and departments.

State’s Finance Commissioner, Hannatu Sabo, who made this known at a news briefing marking Governor Umar Namadi’s two years in office in Dutse, the state capital, said the ghost workers failed to show forth throughout the verification exercise.

Sabo explained that the state government upon discovery immediate removed the names of the affected ghost workers from the payroll.

“The fake employees were removed from the payroll as they failed to report for the verification exercise.

“The government’s commitment to transparency and accountability has also been demonstrated through the verification exercise and the removal of ghost workers from the payroll,” she emphasised

The commissioner attributed the success of the verification to the government’s efforts to streamline its workforce and eliminate fraudulent practices.

“The Jigawa State Government’s efforts to eliminate ghost workers and streamline its workforce demonstrate its commitment to transparency and accountability,” she stressed

“The exercise also led to the recruitment of new employees under the J-Health, J-Teach, and J-Agro programmes,” she added.

Sabo highlighted the government’s commitment to paying its employees a decent salary, stating that the state is paying 100 per cent of the new salary structure, making it one of the highest-paying states in the country.

In addition to the salary payments, she added that the state government has received additional funds from the Federal Government, which will further boost the state’s revenue.

“We have received additional funds from the Federal Government through the monthly allocation to the state and the local government councils, which will go a long way in supporting our development projects,” she said.

Sabo the Jigawa State Government has also demonstrated its commitment to the timely payment of salaries, with employees receiving their salaries before the 25th of each month, as directed by the governor.

“We are paying salaries before the 25th of each month to employees, as directed by the governor,” Sabo said.

She announced that the government has made significant investments in various sectors, including education and energy, saying that “Jigawa State Government under the leadership of Governor Namadi have purchased a privately owned Khadija University in Majia, and the government has also acquired shares in the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) for the good of the citizens in the state.

“The purchase of Khadija University and the acquisition of shares in KEDCO are expected to boost the state’s revenue and improve the quality of education and electricity supply. The government’s support for microfinance banks will also provide financial services to more citizens, especially in rural areas.”

She also noted that during the two years of the current administration of Namadi, the state government has also supported microfinance banks in some local governments, with plans to open branches in the remaining local governments that do not have banks.

“The governor has ordered the opening of microfinance bank branches in the remaining local governments that do not have banks,” Sabo added.