Biometrics: Gombe Uncovers 431 Ghost Workers

Segun Awofadeji in Gombe

Gombe State Government says it has uncovered 431 ghost workers and suspended them from the state government payroll system for the month of May 2021.

This is as the state government placed over 600 others on investigation, even as government saved over N27 million from the exercise this month
This was disclosed by the committee for the Integrated Payroll Payment Gateway and Human Resource Management Information System.

Briefing newsmen on the development yesterday, the Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Muhammad Gambo Magaji, also disclosed that another 691 staff were billed for investigation due to insufficient attendance as indicated by the biometric data capture machine.

The commissioner explained that from the 431 ghost staff, mostly from the health sector, the state government was able to make savings of N27, 114, 674 while for the 691 staff also from the health billed for investigation for insufficient attendance, the government was able to withhold N62, 888, 621.

He equally revealed that based on the earlier directive issued by the state government for workers on grade levels 1-12 to work from home as part of measures against COVID-19, a total of 244 staff with a total salary strength of N7,248, 027 were also captured by the biometric to indicate transparency and accountability.

As for the local government areas, the Finance Commissioner said 45 staff of Kwami LGA have been suspended from the payroll of the local government, thereby saving N704, 488 in the process.

He added that another four staff from same local council have also been sanctioned for incomplete enrollment with a total salary strength of N147, 272. The commissioner said in Gombe local government council, two staff had been suspended while another two were to be investigated based on insufficient attendance thereby making a saving of N144, 423.
Magaji said the exercise was basically meant to check fraud in the civil service and not intended to witch hunt anyone.

“The exercise will help government ascertain the vacuum in the state’s civil service for immediate recruitment from the teeming jobless youths in the state,” Magaji said.
Earlier, the chairman of the committee, Alhaji Bappayo Yahaya, advised civil servants in the state not to treat the biometric data capture exercise with disdain so that they would not have themselves to blame.

Alhaji Yahaya, who is the state’s Head of Civil Service, stressed that the administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya was determined to work with only genuine civil servants who were committed to the growth and development of the system and the state.
“This exercise is not intended at targeting any civil servant for witch hunt, rather it focuses on strengthening the system for efficiency and effectiveness.

The vice chairman, Nigerian Labour Congress NLC, Gombe State Chapter, Comrade Bappayo Abdulmumini said NLC was fully in support of the biometric data capture exercise to checkmate civil servants who are in the habit of not showing up for work.
He said so far no civil servants had approached the congress with any complaint over his or her suspension from payroll, which he said was a pointer that workers suspended in the exercise were really guilty of their offence.

Comrade Abdulmumini said the Congress had been part of the committee’s membership since the commencement of the biometric exercise and is therefore committed to ensuring justice is done to workers in the state.