Workers lament “sorrowful Sallah” celebrations as thousands removed from payroll

Workers lament “sorrowful Sallah” celebrations as thousands removed from payroll

Civil servants in Taraba State have expressed deep sorrow over this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, following the recent removal of more than 7,000 workers from the state payroll after being declared ghost workers.

The decision came from a biometric screening committee established by the state’s Finance Commissioner, Mrs. Selah Enoch Adi, and led by Mallam Haruna Abdulkadiri, a permanent secretary in the office of the Secretary to the Taraba State Government (SGS).

After completing its review, the committee identified over 7,000 civil servants as non-existent on the payroll and subsequently removed them.

Reports indicate that the purge affected even long-serving employees, including at least 70 staff members from the office of the Accountant General, many of whom have worked in the department for over 27 years and consistently appeared on the payroll, yet were dismissed by the committee.

Further investigations revealed that in 2024, the state’s Accountant General, Mr. Gaius Danjuma, conducted an earlier biometric exercise, which identified around 24,000 legitimate civil servants on the state payroll.

This data was submitted to Governor Agbu Kefas.

However, the Abdulkadiri-led committee later produced a revised figure of approximately 19,000 civil servants after their screening.

They classified those who recently joined the government workforce, as well as about 5,000 workers previously verified by the Accountant General, as ghost workers resulting in the removal of over 7,000 employees from the payroll.

Those labeled as ghost workers have already been excluded from receiving salaries, causing widespread distress among affected civil servants.

Speaking to Leadership Newspaper, some civil servants revealed that the layoffs hit a wide range of workers, including directors and deputy directors.

One secretary from the Ministry of Information disclosed, “My boss, a director who has served for over 28 years, was removed from the payroll. More than 200 civil servants here have been declared ghost workers by the Abdulkadiri committee. We haven’t received our salaries, and the situation is very confusing.”

Muslim civil servants lamented that the timing of the salary cuts has made this year’s Sallah a particularly painful occasion for them and their families, as many are now left without any source of income.

Two civil servants who also spoke with LEADERSHIP on Friday appealed urgently to Governor Agbu Kefas to intervene, warning that the lack of financial support is threatening their livelihoods and could put many lives at risk.

The Taraba State chapter chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Peter Jediel, confirmed ongoing discussions with the Abdulkadiri-led committee to address salary payment discrepancies.

“We have not yet concluded our talks with the committee, but we will update you once we have,” he said.