The Governor Agbu Kefas administration in Taraba State has brought relief to Tarabans with the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage.

However, this development is accompanied by challenges stemming from a tainted personnel list inherited by the administration.

The Guardian checks indicate that the previous administration under Darius Ishaku instructed the state’s Civil Service Commission (CSC) to employ 1,500 new workers. The directive was later entrusted to a committee led by Genesis Kwantar, now a permanent secretary at the Establishment Office of Taraba.

Contrary to the initial directive, the committee’s efforts resulted in the enrolment of 1,780 new staff. Presently, the number of newly employed staff has surpassed 3,000, in addition to existing personnel and those retained beyond retirement on contract basis.

Reports suggest the existence of illicit practices, including the forgery of signatures to issue counterfeit appointment letters.

These deceptive letters have led to the placement of workers in various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) without the requisite postings from the CSC, which holds the authority to formally assign staff to designated offices.

Adding to the complexity is the approved transfer of local council staff into the state civil service, an executive directive issued by Ishaku.

Consequently, the Kefas’ government faces the formidable task of sanitising the system to mitigate the challenges posed by the prevalent ghost personnel issue.

The Guardian observed that implementation of the new minimum wage adds an additional layer of complexity to the administration’s efforts, underscoring the need for strategic decision-making to navigate these intricate challenges.