Dare Babalola
Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, has maintained that there are no ghost workers in the state workforce.
Kefas, told newsmen on Friday at the EXCO Chambers, TY Danjuma House, Jalingo, that the problem draining the state treasury lies with improperly engaged staff.
The governor said the ongoing biometric verification exercise was aimed at sanitising the payroll to ensure only legitimately employed staff are paid.
He said, “I am convinced that there are workers who are not properly employed, but they are not ghosts.
“There are two categories of this: Some names appear on paper, but the people do not exist; others appear and disappear. So, we want to pay those actually working and clear pension liabilities.
“Another issue is that some senior civil servants at the point of exit from the service will employ their children and relatives through the back door. This situation is making it difficult for people who are graduates but don’t have connections to get a job, and I am determined to give people equal opportunities because there are so many people who are qualified but have no connections. People must not get jobs through connections.”
The governor noted that the exercise would stop wastage and free resources for genuine workers and retirees.
“I can’t eat anybody’s money. That is the essence of the verification, we want to ensure things are done properly,” he added.
On education, Kefas admitted the state faces daunting challenges due to unreliable data, noting that Taraba has about 3,000 primary and 500 secondary schools with dilapidated facilities.
“My plan is to meet with headteachers and principals. I will release funds to teachers and mobilise parents and government to repair roofs, supply chairs and begin construction of new classrooms,” he said.
The governor also charged journalists to act as independent monitors of government projects across the 16 local government areas.
“As journalists, you must organise yourselves as monitoring teams. When we give money for projects, you should monitor execution so that stakeholders, parents, teachers, and government can be held accountable,” he added.
Reacting to criticism of political appointees, Kefas described much of it as perception, but warned against sabotage.
He recalled an incident where a transformer at the Presidential Lodge in Jalingo was allegedly vandalised by workers.
“I don’t want to be harsh, but when I investigate and find wrongdoing, people will be held accountable,” he stated.
