The Katsina State Government has uncovered 3,488 ghost workers across the 34 local government councils and Local Education Authorities (LEAs) following a comprehensive biometric verification exercise.
Governor Dikko Radda made the revelation while receiving the official report from the verification committee.
He praised the team for delivering what he described as a “credible and thorough” investigation, despite facing political pressure and public skepticism throughout the process.
According to Radda, the discovery has already led to significant financial recovery, with over ₦500 million saved so far from inflated payrolls at the local government level.
“This exercise is part of our broader effort to entrench transparency, block financial leakages, and ensure that public funds are directed toward genuine development,” the governor said.
Radda said: “We have been in the system for a long time, and we know these things exist. Many people complained and even warned me that the Committee’s work could damage my politics and cost me elections.
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“But I was not worried, because the situation in Katsina required reforming the system and doing the right thing.
“Reducing this burden will free up more funds to support grassroots development.
“I did this to save the state from the grip of a few.
“This is how we can have money to work for the general people in our local government areas.
Governor Radda has ordered that the committee’s findings be compiled into a White Paper to ensure full implementation of the recommendations.
He revealed that local governments have already saved approximately ₦500 million, and projected that total savings could rise to ₦5.7 billion once the committee’s report is fully acted upon.
