The Zamfara state government said it did not have information on the number of civil servants in the state.
The government lamented the alarming number of ghost workers in the state civil service.
Speaking to reporters in Gusau, Head of State Services (HoS) Barrister Ahmad Liman said the situation had become perplexing and worrying.
Speaking further, he revealed that ghost workers are mainly engaged in the health and education sectors.
However, it said verification work to confirm the number of workers is still ongoing.
“In a particular hospital, 22 health workers were receiving salaries, but upon verification, it was found that only two were genuine health workers,” the HoS lamented.
Government officials explained that the verification exercise will conclude at the end of November 2024, after which a commission on pay will be established.
The HoS, who is also the Chairman of the Verification Exercise Steering Committee, noted that the current government in the state had inherited several unresolved issues from previous governments.
“The implementation of the 2019 minimum wage of N30,000 was found to be flawed.
“The state government will implement the new minimum wage of N70,000 as soon as the verification committee and salary commission submit their reports.
“A new minimum wage cannot be introduced without knowing the number of civil servants in the state,” the HoS said.
