Sokoto removes 13,415 ghost workers from payroll

Sokoto State Government under the leadership of Aminu Tambuwal said it has expunged 13,415 ghost names from the payroll of its 23 local councils.


Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development, Alhaji Mannir Dan-Iya made the disclosure, in Sokoto, on Thursday.

The commissioner, who briefed newsmen on the activities of the ministry, in the last two years, said the ghost names were deleted after verification exercises of workers were conducted in 2016 and 2017.

“After the two exercises, 12,915 junior staff, comprising of sit-at-home and ghost workers were flushed out from the payrolls.

“Similarly, senior staff verification exercise was conducted, whereby 500 staff, comprising of those due for retirement, dead and ghost workers were removed from the payrolls.”

Dan-Iya further stated that the government had centralised the payment of the salaries of local government workers, to enhance accountability.

He added that payments were now being made through banks, directly to individual worker’s account.

“This is why the state government is assisting them monthly, to pay the salaries of the workers, by augmenting their monthly allocations from the Federation Account”‎, he said.