Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State has approved the reinstatement of 3,187 civil servants previously dismissed from the state’s workforce after a verification exercise that classified them as ghost workers.
The governor also directed the recruitment of an additional 1,500 workers into the state civil service to address manpower shortages across key sectors.
The decision was announced after the State Executive Council meeting chaired by the governor in Jalingo.
The State Commissioner for Information and Re-Orientation, Barrister Zainab Usman, disclosed the development while briefing journalists on Thursday.
She said the affected workers would be issued fresh appointment letters and fully reintegrated into the state workforce.
According to her, the move reflects the administration’s commitment to justice, workers’ welfare and the strengthening of the civil service.
The Head of Service, Dr Hamidu Ahmed Kara, described the reinstatement as a “Sallah gift” to workers affected by the verification exercise, which had earlier flagged them as ghost workers.
He said many of the affected employees had spent over a year without salaries after being removed from the payroll during the exercise.
“The governor considered the hardship faced by the affected workers and approved their immediate reintegration into the civil service,” Kara said.
He added that the workers would be placed on regularised employment terms after receiving fresh appointment letters.
Dr Kara also announced that the state government had approved fresh recruitment to address manpower gaps and correct perceived imbalances across the 16 local government areas of the state.
He said the governor had directed the Office of the Head of Service to work with the Taraba State Civil Service Commission to commence the recruitment process.
According to him, advertisements inviting applications from qualified indigenes would soon be published in national newspapers.
He explained that the exercise was aimed at strengthening capacity in the civil service and addressing gaps created by previous employment processes.
The development has sparked excitement among affected workers and residents across the state, with many describing the reinstatement as a major relief ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.
Labour leaders also commended the decision, describing it as a significant intervention that would improve workers’ welfare and boost economic activity in the state.
