Kogi State Judiciary Discovers 268 Ghost Workers The Staff Verification, 706 Illegally Recruited Staff

By Charles Nwabardi

The Committee set up by the Acting Chief Judge of Kogi State, Justice Josiah Joe Majebi, to ascertain the nominal roll of the state High Court staff, has exposed 268 ghost workers amongst the staff.

The Committee also uncovered 706 illegally recruited staff on the payroll of the state judiciary since January 2021 and have been recommended for outright termination.

Chairman of the probe panel, Justice Mohammed Etsu Umar, disclosed that the recruitment malpractice has led to an ‘astronomical’ increase in personnel emoluments, representing a 40 percent increase in personnel cost.

“After a careful check of the names of newly employed staff from January 2021 to June 2022, the staff disposition list and payroll, it was discovered that some of the names on the payroll could not be found on the staff disposition list of the courts and other departments.

“Therefore, it is an indication that though their names are on the payroll, they do not have duty stations and do not work anywhere in the Inspectorate offices,” the report reads in part.

“It is our recommendation that it is an abnormality for staff to be on payroll without duty station. Such situation should be immediately corrected by the termination of employment of such persons affected.”

The Committee therefore, recommended that, “henceforth, employment (by the institution) should be highly regulated to the needs of the judiciary establishment and be based on budgetary provisions and availability of vacancies.”

While appreciating the committee members for a thorough job, Kogi State Chief Judge, Justice Josiah Majebi, said the committee’s assignment would be a continuous exercise as he expressed his resolve to ensure routine scrutiny of the payroll of the high court and entire judiciary to safeguard staff welfare.

He said that with the utmost empathy, due process and diligence in staff recruitment and the cardinal goal of his stewardship as the state Acting Chief Judge, Justice Majebi vowed to implement the recommendations of the Committee without delay with a view to bringing sanity and discipline to the state judicial service.

“I am being guided by the three principles of showing love and being concerned with the problems and happiness of the people I lead.

“And when I assumed office, I said the prevailing order cannot achieve what I want to achieve. So I had to joggle with the order. So, I changed the DPM and I have always invited the Judiciary workers union (JUSUN) Chairman to be part of what we do because staff welfare and the interest of the system should always be our collective purpose. We cannot afford to allow the system to collapse,” he said.

The setting up of the state judiciary Staff verification committee followed the recommendation of the state high court council of Judges to that effect to check administrative malpractice.