The Katsina State Government has uncovered 3,488 ghost workers, certificate forgers, underage employees, and other irregularities in the local government payroll as part of ongoing reforms in the system.
The discovery followed a biometric screening exercise carried out by a committee on staff of the 34 Local Government Councils and Local Education Authorities.
Presenting the findings at the State Executive Council meeting, the committee chairman, Abdullahi Gagare, said out of 50,172 staff screened, 46,380 were verified, while 3,488 were found guilty of presenting fake credentials, absconding from duty, engaging in fraud, or failing to appear before the committee.
He noted that the screening also exposed cases of falsified birth dates, illegal promotions, absenteeism, ghost workers, underage employment, and staff positions being sublet to others.
According to Gagare, the committee recovered N4.6 million from workers who illegally collected salaries from both state and federal agencies, as well as from six individuals receiving salaries while on leave of absence. He also disclosed that the education secretary of Zango Local Education Authority, alongside accomplices, presented 24 ghost workers for screening—an act he described as a serious abuse of office.
Governor Dikko Radda, after receiving the report, directed the immediate drafting of a white paper to ensure full implementation of the committee’s recommendations. He stressed that the exercise would free the state from “the grip of a few,” redirect resources to grassroots development, and boost socio-economic activities across local governments.
Radda revealed that local governments currently have about half a billion naira saved, which is expected to rise to N5.7 billion following the findings.
Dismissing claims that the screening was politically motivated, the governor said: “Many people warned me that the committee’s work could damage my politics and cost me elections, but I was not worried. The situation in Katsina required reform. This is how we can have money to work for the general people in our local governments.”
He commended the committee for delivering credible results despite political pressures.
