From Verification to Employment: How Governor Kefas is Strengthening the Civil Service

When His Excellency, Dr. Agbu Kefas, assumed office, he inherited several challenges within the Taraba State Civil Service. These included unpaid pensions and gratuities, irregular salary payments, job racketeering, and the non-implementation of the new minimum wage.

However, as a leader committed to solving problems rather than assigning blame, Governor Kefas confronted these challenges head-on. In line with his vision of building a productive and efficient public service while creating employment opportunities for Tarabans, he ordered a comprehensive staff screening and verification exercise aimed at sanitising the civil service.

Contrary to expectations, the exercise revealed a workforce larger than anticipated, thereby placing additional pressure on the government's wage bill and making it increasingly difficult to sustain timely salary payments. Consequently, the Governor approved a second round of staff screening and verification. Following the exercise, approximately 7,000 suspected ghost workers were initially identified.

The reality, however, was more complex. Among those affected were genuine ghost workers who did not exist, individuals who gained entry into the civil service through irregular channels without proper government approval, and others who became victims of administrative irregularities beyond their control.

While some stakeholders urged the government to abandon its employment plans and continue paying all affected persons, Governor Kefas chose a more responsible and humane approach. His administration resolved to regularise the appointments of genuine workers affected by the verification process through fresh employment letters, while also creating opportunities for about 1,800 unemployed Tarabans who had no access to unofficial recruitment channels.

It was for this reason that the Governor constituted a committee, chaired by the State Auditor-General, Mr. Polycarp Uranius, to distinguish genuine workers from non-existent employees. At the conclusion of the verification exercise, only 3,160 individuals presented themselves for screening out of the 7,000 initially flagged, lending credence to widespread concerns about the existence of ghost workers within the system.

Although the government could have simply continued paying those successfully verified, Governor Kefas, as a forward-looking leader, recognised the need to provide lasting legal and administrative certainty. Consequently, the administration resolved to formally absorb and regularise qualified personnel through the issuance of fresh appointment letters, thereby protecting them from future disputes or challenges that may arise under subsequent administrations.

From the foregoing, the Taraba State Government is effectively creating employment opportunities for more than 5,000 people, who will contribute their quota to improved service delivery, enhanced efficiency, and the overall development of the state.

This represents one of the largest employment initiatives in the history of Taraba State and underscores the administration's commitment to empowering citizens through gainful employment.

Since its inception, the Kefas administration has remained a steadfast partner of the civil service. Recognising that the civil service is the engine room for policy implementation and the backbone of government administration, the Governor has consistently demonstrated his commitment to restoring the rights, welfare, and dignity of public servants.

The administration has also extended support to retirees who devoted over three decades of service to the state and are now enjoying their well-deserved rest after years of sacrifice and dedication.

Ultimately, this painstaking decision was taken in good faith to eliminate genuine ghost workers from the payroll, regularise the status of those who entered the service through irregular processes, create opportunities for qualified unemployed citizens, and address recruitment imbalances that has disadvantaged some local government areas by “Employers of Ghost workers”.

 This is yet another demonstration of Governor Agbu Kefas' commitment to transparency, fairness, accountability, and inclusive governance in the collective interest of all Tarabans.

Barr. Zainab Jalingo is The Commissioner of Information and Re-orientation writes from Jalingo in Taraba State, Nigeria.