Calling a Spade a Spade: Why the Ghost Worker Crisis Demands Political Courage in Taraba State
By Liberty Andrew JP
What began as a routine administrative clarification by the Head of Service of Taraba State, Dr. Kara, has unfortunately degenerated into a campaign of insults by people who neither understand the workings of the civil service nor appreciate the responsibility of reform.
Dr Ahmed Kara, Taraba State Head of Civil Service
Because Dr. Kara described ghost workers as criminals, some social media actors misread firmness for wickedness. But governance is not a popularity contest; it is a duty to protect public resources
Anyone who parades himself as a civil servant without lawful authorization commits an offence against the state. The present administration of Governor Agbu Kefas cannot be expected to fund fraud in the name of sentiment.
A Plot to Embarrass the Administration
The truth must be told without fear. Many of those crying foul are beneficiaries of corruption who now seek to embarrass a government that is cleaning a system it did not create. Governor Kefas inherited a compromised civil service structure. Instead of supporting reform, some elements are weaponising social media to distort the facts.
Yes, former Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku approved limited employments toward the end of his tenure. That approval was lawful. What became unlawful was what happened next: officials within the Head of Service and Civil Service Commission allegedly inflated figures, collected money, and bypassed due process.
These illegal beneficiaries now parade appointment letters as entitlement, when in reality such letters are products of fraud.
Employment Is Political and Must Be Fair
Employment is not merely administrative; it is political, social and security-sensitive in a diverse state like Taraba. Taraba belongs to all ethnic nationalities. Any recruitment process that allows one group to dominate is a recipe for resentment and instability.
When jobs are sold to the highest bidder or cornered by one locality, the state loses legitimacy. Government must therefore ensure that employment reflects balance, merit and inclusion.
Those holding illegal letters must understand that injustice against others cannot become a permanent right.
Opposition-Sponsored Noise
It is also naïve to pretend politics is absent from these protests. Many demonstrations are allegedly sponsored by opposition forces desperate to weaken the credibility of Governor Kefas. They are exploiting illegal appointees as foot soldiers.
But governance is not conducted on the streets; it is conducted in law and policy. Protest cannot legalise fraud.
Lessons from Taraba and Adamawa
As a veteran journalist who served from the defunct Gongola State through Taraba State for over thirty-five years, I have witnessed how recruitment corruption destroys institutions.
While serving as Director of News and Current Affairs, Taraba State Broadcasting Service, Jalingo, during the Darius administration, the governor approved recruitment to fill gaps. Yet someone hijacked the process and employed nearly 90 percent of staff from his own village, creating lopsidedness the station still battles today.
Adamawa State faced a similar challenge. Toward the end of Governor Mohammed Bindow’s tenure, employments were manipulated. When Governor Ahmadu Fintiri took over, he cancelled the irregular appointments despite protests and introduced transparency. Today, Adamawa’s recruitment system is more credible.
Taraba must follow that example without fear.
Beyond Ghost Workers: Identify the Real Culprits This is where political courage is required. It is not enough to flush out ghost workers; government must also expose those who created them.
The Taraba State Government should immediately set up a high-powered investigative committee to:
Trace the origin of all illegal appointment letters.
Identify officials in the Head of Service, Civil Service Commission, ministries and parastatals who issued or facilitated them.
Recover monies collected from desperate job seekers.
Recommend administrative, civil and criminal sanctions against offenders.
If only the beneficiaries are punished while the architects walk free, corruption will recycle itself.
The public deserves to know who sold government jobs and turned employment into a private business.
Why Dr. Kara Must Be Supported
Dr. Kara’s stance is not personal hostility; it is institutional defence. Anyone who sneaks into service through bribery steals from qualified Tarabans who lack godfathers and money.
Calling such conduct criminal is leadership, not arrogance.
Silencing reformers because of social media noise only empowers corruption networks.
The Way Forward
Taraba State must institutionalize:
Digitized recruitment and verification.
Publicly advertised vacancies.
Ethnic and regional balancing.
Independent observers in recruitment.
Severe penalties for job racketeering.
Employment should never again be for sale in Taraba State.
Conclusion
The ghost worker controversy is a test of political will. Governor Kefas must not blink. The Head of Service must not retreat. And the people must not be deceived by emotional protests sponsored by vested interests.
Let Taraba cleanse its system.
Let those who sold employment be exposed.
Let justice replace sentiment.
Only then can the civil service regain its dignity and truly serve the people.
Liberty Andrew JP, a media practitioner writes from Jalingo, the Taraba state capital.
