Payroll committee report conflicts official figures- Taraba Accountant General
Payroll committee report conflicts official figures- Taraba Accountant General
By Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The Taraba State Accountant General, Gaius Danjuma, has disputed claims by the state’s Payroll Verification Committee, insisting that several of the figures presented to Governor Agbu Kefas were exaggerated and did not align with the records available to his office.
The committee had raised alarm over widespread irregularities in the payroll system, stating that 7,800 names on the state’s payroll were unapproved or unqualified, and that only 1,410 out of 4,029 individuals who complained of non-payment were genuine civil servants.
But in a statement released on Saturday, Mr Danjuma said the committee’s figures were misleading. According to him, a thorough review carried out by his office shows that 4,049 legitimate workers were initially unpaid, not the 7,800 the committee alleged.
He explained that many of the names labelled as “ghost workers” were actually genuine staff whose appointments had been properly approved by the governor.
Danjuma faulted the committee for failing to carry out adequate verification before drawing its conclusions, saying this led to an inaccurate picture being presented to the government.
On concerns raised about the payment of judges, the Accountant General clarified that the state is only responsible for Rent Supplement Allowances, while the National Judicial Council handles all judicial salaries.
He also dismissed claims that retired High Court judges remained on the payroll, noting that his office relies on formal communication from the judiciary to confirm retirements.
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Mr Danjuma also reacted to the committee’s assertion that 1,410 cleared workers were denied payment.
He said the affected names were placed on hold pending the governor’s instruction to harmonise all outstanding lists and eliminate duplications.
The Accountant General further raised concerns about what he described as “possible manipulation” of the electronic payroll file, citing a July 2025 incident where 21 officers were wrongly overpaid a total of N23.8 Million instead of N3.4 Million.
After proper reconciliation, he said, 508 genuine civil servants remain unpaid.
Efforts to reach members of the Payroll Verification Committee for comments were unsuccessful as at press time.
