President Bola Tinubu has directed that all civil servants who relocated abroad while drawing salaries without formally resigning must refund the wages they received during the period.
The President also directed that the supervisors and department heads of the culprits must also be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud under their watch.
Tinubu gave the directive on Saturday at the award night organised by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF) to commemorate the 2024 Civil Service Week.
The event was also to honour some outstanding civil servants in core ministries.
Represented by Sen. George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the President expressed dismay over the attitude of the ghost workers.
“During my recent visit to South Africa, I kept abreast of the week’s activities.
“I was particularly struck by the revelations shared by the Head of the Civil Service, regarding employees who had relocated abroad while drawing salaries without formally resigning.
“It is heartening to hear that measures have been taken to address this issue, but we must ensure those responsible are held accountable and restitution is made.
“The culprits must be made to refund the money they have fraudulently collected.
“Their supervisors and department heads must also be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud under their watch,” Tinubu said.
He reiterated that the government would take appropriate measures to ensure they were punished and the money refunded to the government treasury.
The President acknowledged the challenges in the civil service sector and reiterated his commitment to address them for optimal performance.
“Our administration acknowledges the challenges the civil service is facing.
“I want to give you the assurance that we are committed to ensuring the welfare and development of all civil servants to deliver optimal performance for the growth of our nation.
“Over the past year, I have provided all the necessary support to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to ensure the continued stability of the civil service.
“I also supported the office in implementing far-reaching policies and reforms capable of improving efficiency and service delivery, ” the president said.
