Katsina Government dismisses 3,488 staff

Katsina State Government has dismissed 3,488 employees across 34 Local Government Councils and Local Education Authorities following a biometric verification that revealed payroll fraud. Governor Dikko Radda received the committee’s report on Wednesday, confirming extensive staff verification and fraudulent cases.

The screening process reviewed 50,172 workers, authenticating 46,380 while identifying others with false documents, ghost postings, absenteeism, or those who failed to show up. This established the first-ever comprehensive digital registry of LGC and LEA personnel in Katsina, promising monthly savings of N453.3 million once fully adopted.

The ten-member investigation team uncovered numerous irregularities, including forged birth certificates, employment of underage staff, unlawful promotions, and instances where roles were leased to unauthorized individuals. Additionally, the probe recovered N4.6 million from officials who were paid twice or drew salaries during leave periods.

Committee chairman Abdullahi A. Gagare condemned the actions of the Education Secretary of Zango LEA, who allegedly conspired to add 24 fictitious employees, calling it a “serious breach of trust.”

Governor Radda acknowledged longstanding challenges within the system. The government acknowledged that they have been in the system a long time and knew these issues existed. He added that they advised him that this review could harm his political prospects, but reform was necessary.

He has ordered the report to be converted into a White Paper to ensure the full enforcement of its recommendations. Currently, local governments in Katsina have saved nearly half a billion naira, expected to rise to N5.7 billion through these measures.

Despite substantial revenue allocations, many councils, such as Kafur, Malumfashi, and Daura, struggle with excessive wage expenses, mostly caused by unverifiable employees. The governor stressed that cutting down these costs will free funds for grassroots development projects.