Kano govt orders fresh payroll re-validation for civil servants

The Kano State Government has imposed a new round of payroll re-validation for civil servants in both state and local government administrations to address lingering salary discrepancies.

The fresh re-validation exercise is mandatory for workers who have experienced underpayment and outright withholding of salaries to ascertain the challenge with a view to proffering a solution.

Addressing a press briefing on Monday, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ibrahim Umar Faruq, disclosed that a nine-member committee, headed by the Head of Service, will conduct the exercise.

The SSG said that subsequent to the inauguration of the committee, a payroll balance sheet containing details of workers would be printed and circulated across ministries, parastatals, and agencies for verification.

The SSG affirmed that the government was aware of the outcry of some categories of workers over non-payment of salaries; however, he insisted that no payment would be made until after the re-validation exercise.

While arguing that those agitators failed to comply with the earlier validation exercise in April 2024, he insisted that the complainants must show cause for their refusal. He added that any civil servant found wanting is liable to dismissal.

He further called on state workers to ensure they undergo the salary screening as instructed by the state government, or else they will henceforth not be paid.

He said, “There are about 1,001 workers in the state who have refused to attend the screening and over 2,000 in the local governments, insisting that they must obey the instructions issued by the Head of Service or face the consequences.”

He explained that the entire crisis of non-payment of salaries, deductions, and overpayments resulted from the expiry of the old salary payment software in December 2024.

He added that it cannot be confirmed at the moment whether the workers yet to be screened are ghost workers, saying that all the procedures in place must be exhausted first.

On the investigative panel on salary deductions, the SSG said the committee’s report has been submitted to the government, adding that further action will be taken by the Governor.