After the verification exercise that was carried out in December last year, no fewer than 6,000 affected civil servants have told the Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, that they are not ghost workers.
It should be recalled that the screening was organised by the State Government after it brought a consultant who now determines who is and when salaries are paid.
When our Correspondent got to the the State Secretariat on Monday, it was like an ant-hill by civil servants who arrived the office of the Head of Service as early as 6am over the omittance of their names from the payroll.
According to one of the civil servants, Isah Abdulkadir: “Governor Bello cannot tell me that I am a ghost worker.
“It is very unfortunate that over 6,000 Niger State civil servants, including me, who have worked for over 20 and 30 years are being tagged as ‘casual or ghost workers’.
“We went for screening exercise conducted recently by the government and we were paid December, 2015 and January this year and they refused to pay February salary.
“We are now referred to the Head of Service Office for another verification.
“The governor must act fast before it turns to serious crisis.”
Another affected worker, John Audu, said there was no basis for subjecting civil servants again to stress after the last verification exercise.
According to Audu: “This is my 32 years of active service and I am nearing retirement only for them to tell me that if I do not see my name on the Head of Service list then I am a ghost worker.
“How can I serve meritoriously till now and some consultants are now saying I am a ghost worker?
“I have been screened and cleared, but only for me to get to the office today my organisation told me that only those who got February alerts (salary) are verified workers.
“Since I did not get alert for salary, my boss urged me to rush to the Head of Service Office with my appointment letter and pay slip to see if I can get my case re-certified.”
Another affected worker, Hajia Maimuna Kolo, who was with a little baby on her back, lamented the treatment meted out on them by Governor Bello despite the screening exercise.
Kolo said: “I got here as early as 6am because on Friday I heard there are two lists with the Head of Service.
“The ghost workers list and the verified workers list.
“We were told to come and confirm which list has our names.
“This was not the change we voted for.
“We wanted the best for the State.
“Now look at what Governor Bello is doing to us.”
A source close to the Head of Service said it is a normal thing in the civil service where verification is taking place.
He said: “We are already looking at it.
“We will liaise with the consultant to solve any problem that has been identified.”
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