TheCable

The Gombe government says it has suspended the salaries of 781 civil servants over their “absence from work in the month of September”.

Muhammad Magaji, Gombe commissioner for finance and economic development, said this on Friday during a media briefing on the implementation of biometric attendance verification for civil servants in Gombe.

According to Magaji, 820 other workers will also be investigated by the state government.

“The grand total for the month of September for both suspensions and investigations — number of staff is 1,601 with salaries amounting to N106,935,152,” he said.

The commissioner added that workers in the 11 LGAs of the state have been captured in the state’s biometric system.

He said workers who missed the biometric capturing have till November 11 to enrol in the system.

Magaji also said biometric machines would be distributed across the state, adding that the first set of machines had arrived.

“The data capture machines, which would be used to take the attendance and which are expected to be deployed across the state, are about 4,000,” he said.

“With the data, we will be able to check and know who is who and it will also help us in deployment of staff to relevant ministries, departments and agencies.

“We will know if we have gaps to fill after we have been able to weed out the so-called ghost workers.

“Of course, the space provided, government will look at it and ensure that our youths roaming the street are gainfully employed and paid from the money that we have been losing over these years.”