Civil servants in Jigawa State have voiced their unease about the deadline set by the state government for the conclusion of the ongoing verification exercise.
The concerns arose following an announcement by the state government regarding the deadline for the verification exercise. The statement, signed by Magaji Abdullahi, Public Relations Officer of the Jigawa State Ministry of Finance, outlined the dates for the exercise, stating that the process would run from Monday, November 13th, 2023, to Saturday, November 18th, 2023, from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm daily at the Ministry of Finance conference Hall.
Furthermore, the statement stressed the importance of timely verification, emphasising that no extensions would be granted, and any unverified staff would be considered ‘ghost workers’.
In response to this announcement, Mallam Auwalu, a classroom teacher, highlighted the need for the state government to consider granting additional time for workers. He noted that approximately 70% of classroom teachers in Jigawa State were yet to undergo verification.
“I believe Jigawa State schools should be closed for a week to allow teachers to travel to Dutse for verification. This is necessary as over 70% of Jigawa State Basic and Senior Secondary School Teachers remain unverified, and the verification exercise is set to conclude on November 28th, 2023.”
“The Ministry of Finance in Jigawa State remains the sole designated center for verification, as indicated in the announcement. Therefore, I believe the temporary closure of schools is the only viable option to afford teachers the opportunity to safeguard their positions and avoid being classified as ghost workers.”
Another civil servant, Ahmad Ilallah, expressed concerns about the deadline, stating, “The deadline given by the state Ministry of Finance to civil servants who missed the verification exercise has sparked controversy among the defaulters.”
“The exercise has been fraught with numerous irregularities from inception to conclusion, with many civil servants yet to undergo verification.”
“The contracted company was tasked with reaching civil servants at their respective places of work but failed to do so.”
“The fault does not lie with the civil servants, as those conducting the exercise have not executed it as planned. Thus, it is imperative for them to revisit and complete their work.”
Recent reports by Media Talk Africa have revealed that the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) arrested a verification official over alleged extortion from civil servants seeking verification.
