Growing unease is sweeping through Taraba State as civil servants and concerned residents question why multiple biometric screening exercises conducted under Governor Agbu Kefas’s administration have yet to produce any publicly released reports.
Since 2023, the state government has embarked on at least three separate screenings — one by the Accountant General’s office shortly after Kefas assumed office, another in 2024, and the ongoing, highly controversial exercise led by the Ministry of Finance. The latter has already triggered a statewide strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Workers, speaking on condition of anonymity, allege that withholding the results suggests “skeletons in the cupboard.” They point to allegations of illegal employment, where influential officials allegedly placed unqualified relatives and associates on the state payroll without the governor’s approval. Reports also indicate that a syndicate may have sold illegal appointment letters to the highest bidders, with some suspects reportedly arrested.
Labour unions are demanding the reinstatement of workers whose names were removed from the payroll. However, critics argue that the strike is misguided. Public affairs commentator Caleb Gideon Bambur questioned the unions’ motives, recalling that during the administration of former governor Darius Ishaku, when salaries went unpaid for months, no such strike was called.
Ambassador Rikwensi Muri accused labour leaders of pursuing personal grievances, saying, “They went on strike because they couldn’t see the governor privately, not because of genuine issues with his government.”
Governor Kefas, for his part, has urged a shift from confrontation to collaboration, insisting that the biometric exercise is aimed at curbing ghost workers and ensuring a transparent payroll system.
As tensions mount, many Tarabans are calling for the immediate release of the screening reports to restore public trust, identify those involved in payroll fraud, and end the lingering controversy.
