The scourge of ghost workers and absenteeism in Nigeria’s civil service
The recent exposé concerning Nigerian civil servants receiving salaries while living abroad has brought to light a pervasive culture of corruption and neglect within the system.
President Bola Tinubu’s directive for these absentee officials to refund unlawfully obtained salaries marks a step in the right direction, yet it only scratches the surface of a deeper-rooted issue.
This newspaper believes that the blatant misconduct going unchecked for years reflects systemic failures within Nigeria’s civil service. The case of a Nigerian taxi driver in the UK admitting to still receiving payments as a junior government official two years after leaving Nigeria is not an isolated incident; it symbolises a broader lack of accountability and oversight enabling widespread corruption.
Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan’s assertion of Nigeria’s civil service as the “best in the world” appears hollow in the face of such scandals. In reality, Nigeria’s civil service has become a bloated, inefficient bureaucracy more akin to a welfare scheme than a productive government arm. This inefficiency contrasts sharply with the high-performing civil services of other nations where excellence and integrity attract top talent.
President Tinubu’s call for accountability is commendable but must be backed by concrete actions. Mere salary refunds are inadequate.
A thorough investigation is essential not only to identify absentee workers but also to hold accountable the supervisors and department heads complicit through negligence or connivance. Only comprehensive accountability can begin to restore integrity to the system.
Furthermore, the issue of ghost workers and absenteeism is just the tip of the iceberg. Corruption permeates various aspects of Nigeria’s civil service, from inflated contracts to outright embezzlement.
The recent exposure of flaws in internal auditing by Civil Society Organizations and the Auditor-General is a stark indictment of the current state of affairs.
The mandated establishment of internal audit functions across government entities has failed to curb corruption, highlighting the need for a systemic overhaul addressing cultural and ethical deficiencies enabling such malpractices.
To truly reform the civil service, Nigeria must take bold steps. Firstly, a comprehensive audit is imperative to root out ghost workers and fraudulently retained personnel. Implementing a robust digital identity management system will prevent future fraud.
Secondly, recruitment and promotion within the civil service must prioritise merit, competence, and integrity over political connections or seniority. This shift will attract and retain capable personnel essential for efficient public service delivery.
Lastly, both civil servants and the public must shift their mindset regarding the role of government jobs, moving away from personal enrichment towards a commitment to public service and national development.
As President Tinubu rightly emphasised, the civil service is crucial for effective governance and public trust. A dysfunctional civil service not only impedes governance but also erodes trust in government institutions.
Nigeria’s future hinges on transforming its civil service from a hotbed of corruption and inefficiency into a driver of national development. The scandal of absentee civil servants drawing salaries abroad is a wake-up call demanding comprehensive reform addressing root causes rather than just symptoms.
Nigeria must confront its civil service crisis boldly and resolutely, committing to lasting change. Only then can it aspire to a civil service truly deserving of global recognition for performance and integrity, rather than mere rhetoric.
Nigeria’s civil service is at a crossroads. The recent revelations of civil servants drawing salaries while living abroad have exposed a deep-seated culture of corruption and negligence.
The truth is that Nigeria’s civil service has become a bloated, inefficient bureaucracy that serves more as a welfare scheme than a productive arm of government.
To truly reform the civil service, Nigeria must take bold and decisive steps. First and foremost, there must be a comprehensive audit of the entire civil service to weed out ghost workers, absentee staff, and those who have fraudulently remained on the payroll.
This should be followed by the implementation of a robust digital identity management system to prevent future occurrences of such fraud.
Secondly, there needs to be a fundamental shift in the recruitment and promotion processes within the civil service.
Merit, competence, and integrity should be the primary criteria for both entry and advancement, rather than political connections or seniority. This will help attract and retain the calibre of talent needed to drive efficiency and innovation in public service delivery.
Lastly, there needs to be a fundamental shift in the mindset of both civil servants and the general public regarding the role and importance of the civil service. The notion that government jobs are opportunities for personal enrichment must be decisively challenged and replaced with an ethos of public service and national development.
Nigeria’s future as a prosperous, well-governed nation depends on its ability to transform its civil service from a den of corruption and inefficiency into a true engine of national development.
The scandal of civil servants drawing salaries from abroad is a wake-up call that Nigeria can ill afford to ignore. It is time for a comprehensive overhaul of the civil service, one that addresses not just the symptoms but the root causes of its dysfunction.
Only then can Nigeria hope to build a civil service truly worthy of being called “the best in the world” – not in empty boast, but in actual performance and integrity.
