Ghost workers busted! Katsina sacks 3,488 staff, recovers millions

The Katsina State Government has dismissed 3,488 workers across 34 Local Government Councils and Local Education Authorities following a biometric screening exercise that uncovered widespread irregularities.

Governor Dikko Umaru Radda received the committee’s report on Wednesday, revealing that out of 50,172 staff screened, only 46,380 were verified, while others were exposed for fake credentials, ghost postings, absenteeism, or refusal to appear.

The committee also recovered ₦4.6 million from officers found guilty of drawing double salaries or collecting wages while on leave. In addition, it uncovered falsified birth certificates, underage employment, illegal promotions, and cases where staff sublet their positions to others.

One of the most serious breaches involved the Education Secretary of Zango LEA, who allegedly connived with others to insert 24 ghost workers into the payroll.

Governor Radda said the exercise, which produced the state’s first unified digital database of council and LEA staff, would save Katsina about ₦453.3 million monthly if fully implemented.

“Despite high revenue allocations, many local governments still struggle to pay salaries because of workers who are not genuine,” the governor said, noting that savings from the exercise could reach ₦5.7 billion.

He added that the move was not political but necessary to “save the state from the grip of a few” and free up resources for grassroots development.

The governor directed that the findings be compiled into a White Paper for implementation, stressing that the reforms would help local governments focus on delivering services to citizens.

The screening was conducted by a 10-member committee made up of four retired Permanent Secretaries, six Directors, 16 co-opted members, and security operatives.