The Gombe State Government, under the leadership of Governor Inuwa Yahaya, has disclosed the identification of 523 ghost workers, resulting in savings of N1.5 billion during the civil servant’s verification exercise conducted over the past three years.
The announcement was made by Governor Yahaya during the induction of newly recruited biometric supervisors in Gombe.
Represented by his deputy, Manassah Jatau, the governor highlighted the substantial savings achieved by eliminating non-existent workers who failed to participate in the biometric exercise since its inception in October 2021.
The biometric exercise
- The biometric management system, incorporating 4,000 Biometric Machines Attendance Registers across the state, played a pivotal role in addressing the issue of ghost workers.
- Governor Yahaya emphasized that this initiative has not only saved the government a monthly sum of N23,758,858 since 2021 but has also garnered recognition and support from international organizations, including the World Bank and the Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunization (GAVI).
- The governor urged the newly inducted biometric supervisors to focus on resolving technical glitches and ensuring the effective operation of the program.
- He emphasized their role as a link between employees and the biometric secretariat.
- The Commissioner for Finance, Malam Muhammad Magaji, revealed that Gombe State earned four million dollars through the States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability, and Sustainability (SFTAS) program.
- He praised the implementation of the biometric management system, positioning Gombe as a leader in payroll management, attracting other states to study its success.
- Magaji clarified that over 500 non-contributing workers were uncovered, saving approximately N24 million monthly with a cumulative saving exceeding N1 billion.
- The funds retrieved through this exercise were directed towards the payment of promotion arrears and outstanding gratuities.
The recruitment of 305 youths was also highlighted as a positive outcome of financial management reforms. Magaji urged the supervisors to uphold diligence and warned against unethical conduct, emphasizing that indolence and corrupt practices would not be tolerated.
Dr. Ismail Jibrin, the Biometric Programme Consultant, commended the successful implementation of the program, declaring it a model for other states to emulate.
