By Salejo Kano
Kano Nigeria – April 28, 2025
The Kano State Government has revealed that 21,000 out of its 60,000 civil servants are currently indebted to private loan vendors across the state.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Umar Faruk, disclosed this during a press briefing in Kano, where the state’s Standing Committee on Pay Parade presented updates on the ongoing salary verification exercise.
Faruk expressed concern that many of the affected workers, particularly in the education sector, receive little to no take-home pay after loan deductions are made from their salaries.
He noted that the government is employing both physical and technological methods to address discrepancies in the payroll system. “Under the technological system, we have developed an application that integrates workers’ National Identification Number (NIN), Bank Verification Number (BVN), and other biodata, including photographs,” he said.
Providing further insights, Chairman of the State Payroll Committee, Dr. Sulaiman Sani, revealed that 1,335 workers have yet to appear for verification in the last five months. “The outcome of previous verification exercises has necessitated the formation of a high-powered committee to address critical areas and sanitize the state’s payroll system,” he added.
Dr. Sani also disclosed that in March alone, 240 workers were discovered to be receiving double salaries, while 217 others were found to have duplicate BVNs. He assured that all irregularities would be thoroughly investigated to prevent payroll fraud.
“To ease the burden on workers, the government will suspend loan deductions for the next three months while these debts are verified. However, statutory deductions such as pensions, health insurance, and union dues will continue,” he stated.
In a related development, Chairman of the Local Government Payroll Committee, Umar Idi, reported that 679 local government workers are yet to complete the six-month-old verification exercise.
The state government reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that all civil servants receive accurate and timely salary payments in line with the governor’s pledge to prioritize workers’ welfare.
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