The Zamfara State Government has uncovered 2,363 ghost workers following a comprehensive verification exercise of civil and public servants in the state.

The revelation was contained in a statement by Sulaiman Idris, the spokesman for Governor Dauda Lawal, who noted that the verification process exposed widespread irregularities in the state’s payroll system.

“During the verification, 2,363 ghost workers were exposed. They were receiving a total of N193,642,097.19 every month,” Idris stated.

The verification exercise was initiated in August 2024 when Governor Dauda Lawal constituted a committee headed by the state Head of Service to audit the state workforce and ensure transparency, particularly in preparation for the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage.

According to the report submitted to the governor, the committee successfully cleared 27,109 permanent workers but found several employment anomalies, including: 1,082 civil servants due for retirement, collectively earning N80,542,298.26 monthly.

“395 contract staff and 261 workers not on the nominal roll, 213 workers on study leave and 67 on secondment, 220 minors employed as civil servants, with 75 of them found to have falsified their appointment dates.

“The report highlighted that 75 workers’ first appointment dates were not in compliance with the issue dates, and all of them were minors at the time of employment,” Idris added.

Furthermore, the committee discovered 12 workers who were on the payroll but not in the database, collecting a combined monthly salary of N726,594.

Additionally, 207 workers who were not cleared have been recommended for suspension.

The Zamfara State Government emphasized that the verification process is part of its broader effort to ensure accountability and efficiency in public service.

“These verification exercises are ongoing efforts to monitor the Zamfara workforce and ensure transparency, especially as the minimum wage payments begin in March 2025,” the statement concluded.