The Gombe State Civil Service Commission has commenced an eight-week physical verification exercise for more than 7,000 civil servants aimed at sanitising the service and establishing a comprehensive digital database.
Flagging off the exercise in Gombe on Thursday, the Chairperson of the Commission, Dr. Rabi Shu’aibu Jimeta, mni, said the initiative was necessitated by growing concerns over the integrity of personnel records, cases of officers overstaying in service beyond statutory limits, and inadequate data on staff deployment, secondment, and vacancies across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
“For transparency, efficiency, and optimal utilisation of human resources, there is a compelling need to conduct this verification exercise,” she said. “It is not meant to witch-hunt anyone but to authenticate personnel records, identify irregularities, and provide a reliable database for informed decision-making.”
Dr. Jimeta explained that the absence of an up-to-date personnel record had posed challenges to effective manpower planning, resulting in ghost workers, unaccounted staff on secondment or leave of absence, and overstaying officers — all of which burden the state’s wage bill.
She said the verification would cover both junior and senior cadre officers, except for judicial staff, medical personnel, and teachers.
On the expected outcomes, the chairperson stated that the exercise would enhance payroll integrity, reduce wastages, and strengthen discipline, transparency, and accountability in the Civil Service, while supporting the government in strategic workforce planning.
She added that every civil servant is required to appear before the verification panel with original documents, including Letters of Appointment and Promotion, Birth Certificate or Age Declaration, Personal Subhead Number (PSN), Posting or Deployment Letter, and Evidence of Secondment or Leave Approval. Others include academic qualifications, Local Government Indigene Certificate, Staff ID card, BVN, and NIN slips.
Speaking to newsmen, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Gombe State Chapter, Comrade Yusuf Aish Bello, described the exercise as a welcome development, assuring the union’s full support.
He said the verification would help eliminate ghost workers and create opportunities for the recruitment of new employees.
Some civil servants who participated in the exercise expressed optimism that the initiative would promote fairness and efficiency in the state workforce.
