“We Don’t Know the Number of Civil Servants in Zamfara State” – Zamfara Head of Service

The Zamfara State Government has raised alarm over an “alarming” surge in ghost workers within its civil service, admitting it currently has no precise count of legitimate employees in the state’s workforce.

At a press briefing in Gusau, the State Head of Service (HoS), Barrister Ahmad Liman, revealed that a significant number of these ghost workers appear to be concentrated in the health and education sectors. Liman cited a shocking example where, in one hospital, only two of the 22 salaried health workers were found to be legitimate employees following an initial verification check.

“This situation has become worrisome and perplexing, and nobody can say with certainty the actual number of civil servants in Zamfara State,” Liman stated.

To address the issue, the government has launched a comprehensive verification exercise, which is expected to wrap up by the end of November 2024. Liman noted that, once completed, a committee on salaries will be established to further streamline payroll management.

The verification effort is part of the government’s broader initiative to eliminate ghost workers and resolve payroll inconsistencies, particularly those inherited from previous administrations. Liman disclosed that the 2019 implementation of a N30,000 minimum wage was flawed, contributing to a lack of transparency in the payroll system.

Liman also confirmed that the current administration intends to raise the minimum wage to N70,000, but emphasized that this increase will only proceed once the workforce numbers are verified. “We cannot implement a new minimum wage without knowing the actual number of civil servants in the state,” he affirmed.