Taraba govt denies sacking workers after verification exercise
Taraba State Government Denies Dismissals Following Staff Verification Exercise
JALINGO, Nigeria — The Taraba State Government has refuted claims that it dismissed civil servants after a recent staff verification exercise.
During the 2026 Workers’ Day celebration, Hamidu Ahmed Kara, Head of the Civil Service, asserted that no employees have been terminated under the administration of Governor Agbu Kefas.
Kara explained that a verification exercise conducted in 2025 aimed to confirm the identities of state employees. During this process, over 3,100 workers were identified with documentation irregularities. Their salaries have been suspended pending further verification and potential reintegration into the civil service.
Kara emphasized that suspending salaries does not equate to dismissal and noted that efforts are ongoing to resolve the identified issues. He assured that all workers who are cleared would receive their salaries once the verification process is concluded.
Representing the governor, Kizito Bonzena, Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, reiterated the administration’s commitment to the welfare of its workers, emphasizing that no civil servant will be unjustly penalized.
In response, the Taraba State chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress have called on the government to urgently address the findings of the verification exercise and restore affected workers to the state payroll.
In a joint statement, labor leaders advocated for enhanced welfare packages to alleviate the economic challenges facing workers. They expressed concern about delays in resolving the status of the impacted staff, noting that these issues have caused significant hardship.
The unions also demanded the implementation of pending promotions for civil servants, specifically targeting local government employees and primary school teachers, which have remained unresolved since 2012 and 2006, respectively.
