Kano uncovers 240 double-salary workers on payroll

The Kano State government has uncovered significant irregularities in its payroll system, including cases of double salary payments and ghost workers, raising concerns about systemic inefficiencies and fraud within the civil service.

Speaking at a joint press briefing on Sunday, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Umar Faruq Ibrahim, said investigations revealed that 240 workers were receiving double salaries, while another 217 shared identical Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs)—a situation he described as both “disturbing and unacceptable.”

Ibrahim, who also chairs the State Coordinating Committee overseeing the payroll reforms, disclosed that over 2,000 civil servants who failed to participate in the mandatory verification exercise had their salaries suspended several months ago.

Despite repeated appeals, Ibrahim said, many workers refused to show up for the audit, forcing the government to act. “We are determined to cleanse the system,” he declared, warning that appropriate sanctions would be imposed on anyone found guilty of manipulating the process.

Providing a detailed breakdown, Auwal Sanda, Chairman of the Standing Payroll Committee, said 1,335 workers had their salaries withheld since September 2023 due to non-compliance with the verification exercise. An additional 679 local government employees, according to Umaru Idi, Chairman of the Local Government Standing Committee, had their pay suspended from November 2023.

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Sanda further revealed that several individuals collected salaries both from the main civil service and the state pension board simultaneously. He said those implicated would be summoned for interrogation. “People having the same BVN is unusual. We will invite such persons to explain how this anomaly occurred,” he said.

At the local government level, the verification exercise uncovered 247 ghost workers. Of these, only eight individuals appeared before the committee to prove their employment status. The remaining 239 were removed from the payroll, saving the state approximately ₦27.8 million monthly.

Umaru Idi explained that the reclaimed funds would be returned to the state’s joint account. “This exercise is necessary not just to save resources but to restore integrity to the public service,” he added.

The Kano government reaffirmed its commitment to upholding transparency, strengthening accountability, and ensuring that public resources benefit only legitimate workers. “Whoever is found culpable will be brought to justice,” Ibrahim vowed.

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