ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- A 36-year-old Nigerian civil servant, Daniel, has revealed that he still receives his monthly salary of N150,000 from his government agency in Nigeria, despite relocating to the UK in 2022.
Daniel (not real names), now a taxi driver in the UK, told the BBC as reported on Sunday that he receives N150,000 monthly from his place of work in Nigeria.
He claims to have a mutual understanding with his boss, who is a relative, allowing him to continue receiving his salary without formally resigning or showing up for work.
This revelation comes despite President Bola Tinubu’s recent directive to crack down on Nigerian government workers who have relocated abroad but still receive salaries.
The President on Saturday, June 22, ordered that those responsible must refund the money they have fraudulently collected and face punishment, along with their supervisors and department heads.
Tinubu ordered that the “culprits must be made to refund the money they have fraudulently collected.
“Their supervisors and department heads must also be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud under their watch,” adding that his administration would ensure “those responsible are held accountable and restitution is made.”
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However, Daniel is unbothered by the President’s directive, citing that his current earnings in the UK are higher than his government salary.
He claims he didn’t resign because he wanted to keep the door open for a potential return to his job in the future.
He said, “When I heard about the president’s directive, I smiled because I know I am doing better here – and not worried.
“To be honest, I didn’t resign because I wanted to leave that door open in case I choose to go back to my job after a few years,” he retorted.
Daniel’s case is not isolated, as several Nigerians have relocated abroad but still receive their monthly pay from the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has been working to eliminate ghost workers and has saved billions of naira through the Treasury Single Account and the Integration Personnel and Payroll Information System.
In June 2022, the Director-General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dr. Dasuki Arabi, disclosed that the Federal Government-backed Integration Personnel and Payroll Information System had exposed and eliminated about 70,000 ghost workers in the civil service system.
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Arabi added that the government had saved at least N220 billion and N10 trillion through the Treasury Single Account since it was fully implemented by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Daniel’s situation highlights the ongoing challenge of ghost workers in Nigeria’s civil service, despite efforts to tackle the issue.
His case also raises questions about the effectiveness of the government’s crackdown on absentee workers and the potential for collusion between employees and supervisors.