Godsent Ogbebor
Jigawa Uncovers 7,000 Ghost Workers, Pushes Payroll Cleanup
The Jigawa State Government says it has discovered about 7,000 ghost workers during a recent employee verification exercise across its ministries, departments, and agencies.
Commissioner for Finance, Hannatu Sabo, made this known on Wednesday in Dutse during a media briefing to mark Governor Umar Namadi’s two years in office.
She said those found to be ghost workers failed to appear for the verification, leading to their removal from the government’s payroll.
“The verification was aimed at cleaning up the system and ensuring that only genuine staff receive salaries,” she said.
Sabo explained that the move reflects the administration’s drive for transparency and accountability.
She added that the success of the exercise also paved the way for fresh recruitment under the J-Health, J-Teach, and J-Agro programmes, aimed at boosting public services in health, education, and agriculture.
According to her, Jigawa is among the few states fully implementing the new salary structure and paying workers regularly, with salaries consistently disbursed before the 25th of each month.
She also revealed that the state’s finances had received a boost through increased federal allocations to both the state and local governments, supporting ongoing development efforts.
Sabo noted that the state government has invested in key sectors, including the acquisition of the privately owned Khadija University in Majia and the purchase of shares in Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), moves aimed at improving education and electricity supply.
She added that the administration has extended financial inclusion by supporting microfinance banks, with directives already issued to open branches in local government areas where banking services are unavailable.
