6,348 Ghost Workers Detected in Jigawa, Monthly Wage Bill Drops by N314m

The Jigawa State Government has uncovered 6,348 ghost workers through its statewide staff verification exercise, leading to significant savings of over N3.7 billion annually.

The Commissioner for Information, Youths, Sports, and Culture, Sagir Musa, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Dutse. According to Musa, the discovery was made during the Statewide Staff Audit Biometric Data Capture and Validation Exercise initiated to clean up the state’s payroll.

“The exercise resulted in the detection of 6,348 ghost workers, saving the government an average of N314,657,342.06 monthly and N3,775,888,809.72 annually,” Musa stated.

He further revealed that the State Executive Council (SEC), after studying the report, approved the establishment of a Continuous Capture Centre (CCC) within the Office of the Head of Civil Service. The center is expected to accelerate the completion of the ongoing data capture and validation process as part of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Management System (IPPMS).

To further support development, Musa announced that the SEC had approved contracts for the rehabilitation of flood-damaged roads across several areas. The affected routes include Andaza–Gadewa–Aujara, Unguwar Mani–Korayel–Rorau, and Tsamiya–Yalwan Damai–Litinin Tudu roads located in Roni, Gwiwa, and Birnin Kudu Local Government Areas.

Additionally, the council sanctioned N254.8 million for the completion of community-based integration into the state’s Social Register Data Management Information System. Musa explained that this move aligns with Governor Umar Namadi's commitment to expanding social security coverage to underserved communities.

“This demonstrates the administration’s focus on ensuring that communities previously excluded from the social register are brought into the fold,” he added.

In a related development, the commissioner announced that the council endorsed the recommendations of the Committee for the Retrieval of Farmlands Allocation across the state. He emphasized that the initiative seeks to promote peaceful co-existence between farmers and herders in Jigawa.

“This decision is part of the administration's roadmap for resolving land disputes and ensuring harmony between farmers and herders across the state,” Musa noted.