Kefas Denies Ghost Workers in Taraba, Targets Payroll Irregularities
Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, has dismissed claims that ghost workers are draining the state treasury, insisting that the real problem lies with improperly engaged staff.
Speaking with journalists on Friday at the EXCO Chambers, TY Danjuma House, Jalingo, Kefas explained that the ongoing biometric verification exercise was designed to sanitise the payroll and ensure only legitimately employed workers and retirees are paid.
The governor said that while there are fraudulent practices in the system, they do not amount to ghost workers. According to him, some names appear on records without actual employees, while others come and go irregularly. He added that the exercise would stop wastage, clear pension liabilities, and free resources for genuine staff.
Kefas further alleged that some senior civil servants, at the point of retirement, recruit their children and relatives through the back door, a practice he said has made it difficult for qualified graduates without connections to get jobs. He vowed to restore fairness and provide equal opportunities for all.
On education, Kefas admitted the state faces daunting challenges due to unreliable data and dilapidated infrastructure, with about 3,000 primary and 500 secondary schools in poor condition.
He pledged to mobilise teachers, parents, and government to repair classrooms, supply chairs, fix roofs, and build new structures, promising to release funds directly to schools to kickstart the process.
The governor also called on journalists to serve as independent monitors of government projects across the 16 local government areas, urging them to track implementation and hold officials accountable.
Reacting to criticism of his political appointments, Kefas described much of it as perception but warned against deliberate sabotage. He recalled an incident in which a transformer at the Presidential Lodge in Jalingo was allegedly vandalised by workers, warning that once investigations confirm wrongdoing, culprits would be held accountable.
