By The Bauchi State Government has announced the discovery and removal of over 3,000 ghost workers from its payroll, a move that has saved the state more than N4 billion.
The revelation was made during an extraordinary meeting of the State Economic Management Council, chaired by Governor Bala Mohammed at the Government House in Bauchi.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Head of Service, Muhammad Sani Umar, alongside the Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor, Yahuza Adamu Ningi, disclosed that the council reviewed the state’s salary administration system and uncovered major irregularities.
Ningi explained that the government engaged Onyx Investment Advisory Limited to conduct a comprehensive payroll audit, which led to the identification and elimination of fraudulent entries.
“By August 2024, we took over salary payments from a consulting firm. At that time, the process was fraught with complaints. However, since the conclusion of this exercise, there have been no further complaints,” Ningi stated.
He added that the reform successfully tackled the ghost worker syndrome and resulted in a total saving of N4.16 billion, funds that had previously been lost to payroll fraud.
In a related development, Umar announced that the council approved the payment of monthly stipends to imams of Juma’at mosques and pastors of churches across the state.
He said the stipends would be paid without discrimination against any religious sect or denomination, adding that necessary steps would be taken to determine the financial implications for smooth implementation.
According to Umar, the initiative is aimed at strengthening social cohesion and supporting religious leaders in their roles within the community.
However, the Bauchi State chapter of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has cautioned the government against politicising religion through the policy.
In a statement signed by its State Secretary, Wada Abdullahi, the party acknowledged the important role of religious leaders in promoting peace and moral values but warned the government to avoid using the stipend initiative for political purposes.
The PRP urged the state government to ensure transparency and fairness in the implementation of the policy to prevent religious matters from being exploited for political gain.
