Over 1300 Retrenched Zamfara Civil Servants Fail to Appear for Reverification, Says State Government

A total of over 1,300 civil servants who were retrenched in Zamfara State have reportedly failed to present themselves before the state’s verification committee, which was recently set up by Governor Dauda Lawal.

According to LMSINT MEDIA, the committee recorded appearances from fewer than 800 public servants during the verification process.

Governor Lawal initiated the formation of the committee following pressure from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), who raised concerns over alleged wrongful terminations linked to the implementation of the new ₦70,000 minimum wage policy.

During a media briefing, the State Head of Service, Yakubu Sani Haidara, acknowledged the low turnout and revealed that the Governor had extended the deadline by ten days, ending on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Despite the extension, the number of attendees remained unsatisfactory.

Haidara emphasized that the civil service operates under strict guidelines, and any affected employees who failed to attend the reverification exercise would be labeled as ghost workers.

He also disclosed that 209 civil servants from the State Ministry of Education deserted their workstations without obtaining any official clearance.

“When an employee deserts their workplace for several weeks or months without authorization, it implies that they have effectively dismissed themselves,” Haidara said.

However, after appeals from key stakeholders, Governor Lawal gave the directive for the 209 absentees to submit formal apology letters for documentation, which led to their reengagement.

Despite being reinstated, these individuals will not receive salaries or allowances for the months during which they were absent.

Additionally, 51 staff members from the State Ministry of Finance were reported to have abandoned their duties. Out of these, 39 have been reinstated, while 11 are still in the process of pleading for reconsideration.

Haidara assured that the current administration has no intention of laying off workers unjustly. Instead, the primary objective is to restructure and enhance the efficiency of the Zamfara State civil service.

He concluded by affirming that every government worker must be able to account for their monthly earnings through active service.