…Saves over N37m after biometric capture of civil servants
BY ADEYEMI AKANJI IN GOMBE – The Gombe State Government has said that its introduction of biometric capture for the state civil servants, has led to the uncovering of about 668 ghost workers and the recovery of N37million after payment of salaries in April 2021.
It said that the recovered amount is made up of that of two Local Government Areas namely Akko and Gombe from the 11 LGAs in the State where the biometric capture was carried out.
The State Government said that following the success recorded in the April, the biometric capture will be a continuous exercise until the actual strength of the state Civil servants in the state is ascertained.
The Gombe State Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Gambo Magaji, who stated these at a press conference organized in conjunction with the office of the Head of Civil Service, Alhaji Bappayo Yahaya, said that no fewer than 668 staff who could also be described as ghost workers were affected.
Magaji said that the affected workers did not show up for verification after the commencement of the enrollment, hence their suspension from the payroll of both the State Government and the two affected Local Government Areas.
The Finance Commissioner said that 431 Workers from the 84 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the State Government were affected during which over N31m was recovered.
He noted that in Gombe Local Government Area, out of the 103 that were absent during the biometric capture, 59 of them are staff of the Local Education Authority in which over N3.1m was saved through the exercise.
He also said that in Akko, out of the 134 staff absent during the biometric capture, 51 were found to be staff of the Local Education Authority from which over N3.9m was saved.
Magaji therefore warned that it will no longer be business as usual as dire consequence awaits anyone found tempering with the biometric data capture machine installed in all the affected offices where the exercise was carried out.
