In a significant move to resolve longstanding workforce issues, Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas has mandated the immediate disbursement of salaries and outstanding entitlements to civil servants who successfully passed the state's staff verification process.
Verification Committee Presents Findings
The directive came during the formal presentation of the State Staff Verification Committee's report on Wednesday, November 20, 2025, at the TY Danjuma House in Jalingo. The comprehensive verification exercise, conducted over five months, represented a crucial effort by the state government to clean up its payroll system and eliminate ghost workers.
Committee Chairman Alhaji Abdulkadir Haruna revealed startling findings during his presentation. Of approximately 7,800 workers initially flagged for review, only 1,410 personnel were fully cleared after rigorous verification procedures. These cleared employees will be immediately reinstated and receive all outstanding payments owed to them.
Shocking Discoveries and Financial Irregularities
The committee uncovered numerous concerning practices within the state's payroll system. Haruna described instances where millions of naira were overpaid to some civil servants in a single month, highlighting severe weaknesses in financial controls.
Many of the removed workers had no traceable employment records, appointment letters, postings, verification data, or any legitimate documentation connecting them to government service. This discovery exposed significant vulnerabilities in the state's hiring and payroll management processes.
Governor's Response and Reform Directions
Governor Kefas commended the committee for what he characterized as an exhaustive, transparent and courageous undertaking, acknowledging they operated under substantial public scrutiny and institutional resistance.
The governor emphasized that accountability in governance must be grounded in decisions that withstand the test of time, stating that posterity will always judge leadership choices either as a legacy of fairness or of negligence.
In his response to the findings, Kefas issued additional directives:
- Immediate payment of salaries and entitlements to all cleared workers
- Review of cases involving workers potentially wrongly recruited due to administrative errors
- Development of a clear process for lawful re-engagement of qualified individuals
- Implementation of tighter internal controls and full payroll automation
Path Forward for Taraba Civil Service
The committee strongly recommended fast-tracking the automation of the state payroll system to prevent future discrepancies and ensure all legitimate workers are promptly integrated into a digital payment platform.
With the verification report now submitted, Taraba State government enters a new phase of public service reforms aimed at strengthening accountability, restoring order to the civil service, and rebuilding citizen confidence in government hiring processes.
The removal of over 7,000 names from the government payroll marks one of the most substantial workforce cleanups in recent state history, potentially saving significant public funds while ensuring legitimate workers receive their due compensation without further delay.
