An ongoing biometric data capturing exercise in Bayelsa State, Nigeria to curb ghost workers could be extended to the education and health sectors as well, says an official.

State governor Seriake Dickson, who visited a ‘due process office in Yenagoa together with his deputy,
revealed his administration could extend the current exercise to health personnel and teachers: especially those in the rural areas.

“Discussions are on to extend the biometric data capturing exercise to health personnel and teachers especially those in the rural areas as they constitute the bulk of the rot in the public service system,” said the governor.

He said the exercise, when completed and fully operational, is expected to enable public servants to use automated verification cards to gain access to their salaries, clock in and out from duty as well as tax payment.

The governor stressed that his administration has resolved to rid the state government’s payroll of ghost workers to enable government to plan effectively for its workers.

Ghost workers are a major problem in the country with reports there are 40,000 of these.

“I am calling on the public servants of in state to cooperate with the officers conducting this exercise. This exercise means so much to us because we want to, for once and for all, put an end to the syndrome of
ghost workers on our payroll,” said Dickson.

"We want to be able to identify who our workers are and plan and cater for them. I am happy that the measures that we have put in place since coming on board have yielded some dividends but this appears to be the most scientific way of determining who should be on our payroll.

"And I want to commend you all. I have heard that you have already verified a few ministries, departments and agencies, so I want to call for cooperation on the part of the public servants that will be verified,” Dickson said.

He explained there would be no “sacred cows” during the exercise. He said any public servant on the state government payroll who fails to be captured in the ongoing verification and biometric capturing exercise would forfeit his or her salary from January 2014.

“No one will be left out. Everything that has to be done in the verification process must be done.

"That is the message my deputy and I are here to send- that nobody is above verification. No connection will stop you from being verified. No level of seniority will stop you from the verification. And verification officers here have our mandate to do everything that is needed to be done, properly and thoroughly.”