From Jude Dangwam, Jos

The Chairman of the Committee on Staff Audit and Verification of workers of the Plateau State Civil Service, Nde John Gobak has disclosed that the Committee uncovered a total of 1232  illegal  workers in the Plateau State Civil Service.

He said out of the total number of 14,418 workers said to be in the state’s Civil Service, only 13,978 were authenticated following the exercise and out of the verified 13,978 staff, 709 staff either falsified or altered their age while 673 others were wrongly placed, promoted or converted.

Gobak made the disclosure while presenting the final report of the Committee to Governor Simon Lalong at Government House  Little Rayfield, in Jos the state capital.

In the words of the Committee Chairman, “As a result of the autonomy granted to the Judiciary and Legislature, the committee only screened staff under the direct purview of the Executive with a total number of 14,418 officers said to be in Service, only 13,978 were authenticated indicating a difference of 440. 

“Out of the 13,978 staff verified, 709 staff either falsified or altered their age while 673 others were wrongly placed/promoted/converted. Sixty-six ought to have retired prior to the inauguration of the Committee on 20th April, 2021, we recommended that 17 cases for review by a Medical Board.”

The Committee established that there was a manifest disconnect between the Salary Automation Unit in the Ministry of Finance and other important offices of government such as the Office of the Head of Civil Service and the Office of the State Auditor- General resulting in the Unit’s seeming overbearing and or ability to function unchecked.

Gobak lamented that some staff are still been paid monthly salaries, many months after they had disengaged from the Service either by “death, retirement, transfer or secondment due to failure to timely raise Variation Orders in that regard or collusion to circumvent the system and or outright acts of misconduct.”

The committee recommended that “Salary Automation Unit should have a Tripartite Supervisory Linkage among the Offices of the Head of Civil Service, State Auditor-General and the Accountant General who may either jointly endorse the Payment Mandates or ensure on a monthly basis, that what is paid is well vetted and genuine. That while the Office of the Head of Civil Service compiles, the Office of the Auditor General vets while the Office of the Accountant General pays,” respectively.

The committee said all approvals earlier granted to some staff to change their date of birth be rescinded, while all employments, placements, conversions and advancements done against the provisions of the Schemes of Service and other extant circulars as captured in the main report be withdrawn.

Governor Simon Lalong promised to put an end to the fraud and abuse in the state’s Civil Service to give room for fresh hands into the Service. “Among other things, Government was worried that despite the number of people exiting from the Service as a result of deaths, retirements, transfers, withdrawals etc., the State wage bill appeared to be constant and even increasing.

“In addition, Government was inundated with alleged cases of age falsification, record tampering, placements and other complaints that cast a negative image in the service and attempted to reduce the effectiveness and efficiency of the Civil Service.

“This also restrained Government from conducting recruitment to inject fresh manpower into the system, resulting in a situation where the State Civil Service is confronted by loopholes and critical manpower shortages in various areas,” the governor stated.