Why is the government paying full salaries when citizens cannot find workers at their desks?

A surprise visit to the Jigawa State Secretariat has raised fresh questions about absenteeism and possible payroll abuse in the state civil service.

Governor Umar Namadi visited the secretariat in Dutse on Monday without giving officials advance notice.

By 11 a.m., he found several offices locked and many senior civil servants absent.

A viral video showed the governor moving through different ministries. He met only a few messengers and security workers in some areas.

The inspection does not prove that Jigawa employs ghost workers. However, it exposes a serious concern. The state may be paying some workers who rarely report for duty or provide public services.

Governor checks attendance during surprise visit

Garba Muhammad, the governor’s special assistant, confirmed the inspection in a statement on Tuesday.

He said Namadi checked staff attendance, punctuality and productivity.

The state government described the visit as part of its campaign to strengthen discipline and accountability across the civil service.

However, the locked offices told a worrying story.

Government offices should operate fully by 11 a.m. Senior officials should supervise employees, attend meetings and serve residents.

Instead, the governor found many offices empty several hours after the working day had begun.

Empty offices create a payroll problem

A ghost worker usually refers to a fake or ineligible person on a government payroll.

Fraudsters may keep the names of dead, retired or resigned workers on salary records. Some officials may also create fake identities and divert the payments.

However, repeated absenteeism creates a similar financial burden.

A real employee may collect a full salary but perform little or no work. The worker exists, but the public receives no service in return.

Taxpayers still bear the cost.

The Jigawa incident therefore goes beyond lateness. It raises questions about staff supervision, payroll controls and the value residents receive from public spending.

Senior officials must explain their absence

The state government should investigate why senior civil servants were absent.

Some officials may have attended government meetings, field assignments or approved programmes outside the secretariat.

Others may have taken authorised leave.

However, officials who stayed away without approval should face disciplinary action.

Senior civil servants carry greater responsibility because they manage departments and supervise junior workers.

When directors and department heads arrive late, junior employees may copy the same behaviour.

Weak supervision can quickly turn absenteeism into a normal part of public service.

Jigawa should match salaries with attendance

The state government should compare its payroll with staff attendance records.

It should confirm that every person receiving a salary has a clear role, office and supervisor.

The government should also conduct physical checks across ministries and agencies.

Biometric attendance systems can help the state track when employees arrive and leave work.

Jigawa should also review workers who collect salaries but repeatedly miss work without approval.

The audit should cover employees who have retired, resigned, died or transferred to other agencies.

It should also identify workers who receive salaries from more than one government office.

These steps would help the state separate genuine employees from fake names and chronic absentees.

How Citizens suffer when workers abandon offices

Civil service absenteeism affects more than government finances.

Residents visit ministries to obtain documents, submit applications and seek approvals.

Businesses also depend on public officials for licences, permits and certificates.

When workers abandon their offices, these services slow down.

Citizens lose time and money. Businesses face delays. Government projects also suffer.

The state may continue paying salaries while residents receive poor service.

That weakens public trust and reduces confidence in government institutions.

Surprise visits alone will not solve the problem

Namadi’s inspection sent a strong message to civil servants.

However, one surprise visit cannot reform the entire system.

The government must follow the inspection with a transparent investigation.

It should ask every absent official to explain their location and assignment during the visit.

The state should also publish the steps it plans to take against workers who violated civil service rules.

Regular attendance checks will produce better results than a single inspection.

The government should also hold supervisors responsible when their departments repeatedly record poor attendance.

Why this matters

Every naira the government pays to a fake or consistently absent worker reduces funding for essential services.

That money could support hospitals, schools, roads and water projects.

Payroll fraud also rewards dishonesty while hard-working civil servants carry more responsibilities.

The Jigawa government now has an opportunity to strengthen its payroll and attendance systems.

It must confirm that every person receiving a salary exists, reports for duty and performs an assigned role.

The real issue is not only that the governor found empty offices.

The bigger issue is whether Jigawa has been paying workers who give the state little or nothing in return..