Bauchi State Cracks Down on Ghost Workers, Launches Digital Payroll Sanitization Exercise

By Muhammad Sani Muazu

Bauchi State Government has launched a comprehensive payroll sanitization exercise aimed at boosting transparency and efficiency within the state’s civil service.

According to a press statement signed by Saleh Umar, Information Public Relations Officer of the Bauchi State Civil Service Commission, the initiative seeks to eliminate ghost workers and discrepancies in salary payments by upgrading to a digital system.

At a high-level meeting convened on October 4, 2024, State Head of Civil Service Alhaji Yahuza Adamu Haruna outlined the project’s roadmap, emphasizing the government’s commitment to leveraging digital tools for streamlined payroll processing.

To facilitate the process, 25 dedicated centers have been established across the state to collect and verify data from all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

Comprehensive data, including personal and employment details, biometric information, and relevant documents, will be collected for all civil servants.

According to Chairman of the Bauchi State Civil Service Commission, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, this digitalization effort marks a significant transition from manual systems to a more secure and transparent workforce management.

The exercise is expected to address longstanding payroll issues, particularly the problem of ghost workers, which has been draining the state’s financial resources.

The initiative will cover all Bauchi State Government employees, excluding Sa’ad Zungur University Gadau, which operates its payroll separately.

Public announcements will be made to inform civil servants about the process and data collection center locations.

The exercise is expected to roll out in the coming weeks.