The Civil Society Organization under the umbrella of the Coalition of Zamfara Youths has criticised Governor Dauda Lawal for removing 2,363 workers from the state’s payroll, describing the action as unjust and detrimental to security in the region, described the move, calling it “the height of wickedness” and arguing that it would worsen insecurity in the state.
In a statement on Tuesday, the chairman of the coalition, Dr Umar Jelaludeen, rejected the government’s claim.
“What Governor Dauda has done is purely an act of wickedness. There is nothing like ghost workers,” he said.
Jelaludeen criticised the government for not conducting a screening exercise to verify the existence of ghost workers before making the decision.
“We are in Zamfara State, and there has been no official announcement of any screening. We just woke up to the breaking news from the government,” he added.
The group also praised former Governor Bello Matawalle for his fair treatment of civil servants during his tenure.
“Under Matawalle’s administration, there were no mass sackings. Instead, he created employment opportunities, appointing 8,000 young people into his government,” the coalition stated.
The group alleged that the sacking of workers was a deliberate move to deny civil servants their wages and divert funds for private use.
“Why sack these workers, knowing fully well that they have nothing to feed on? The state government has dismissed them all in the name of ghost workers,” the coalition said.
They further warned that such actions could deter investors from coming to Zamfara due to heightened insecurity and economic instability.
“We have been complaining about insecurity in the state, and this is one of the reasons investors are reluctant to come. We call on Governor Dauda to reinstate the workers, as he is not creating jobs but rather sacking those already in the system without following due process.”
The group also expressed concerns over financial transparency, noting that in the combined 12 years of former Governors Abdulaziz Yari and Bello Matawalle, Zamfara did not receive as much federal funding as it has under Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration in just two years.
Meanwhile, the Zamfara State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) recently held a press briefing to protest the sackings. The union accused the governor of dismissing more than 8,000 workers and failing to implement the national minimum wage in the state.