There was widespread anger on Sunday regarding a UK-based taxi driver who continued receiving salary from the Nigerian government despite moving abroad in 2022.
Civil society organizations speaking to reporters on Sunday highlighted the incident as evidence of entrenched corruption within Nigeria’s civil service. President Bola Tinubu recently ordered a crackdown on civil servants still receiving salaries after moving abroad. “The culprits must refund the money they fraudulently collected,” he insisted.
According to a BBC report on Sunday, a 36-year-old Nigerian civil servant, referred to as Sabitu Adams (pseudonym), moved to the UK in 2022 but continued to receive a monthly salary of N150,000 from his Nigerian government job, despite working as a taxi driver in the UK. Adams justified this by claiming an agreement with his boss, saying, “When I heard about the President’s directive, I smiled because I know I am doing better here – and not worried.” He admitted he kept his job open in case he decided to return after a few years abroad.
Commenting on the case, civil society organizations stressed the urgent need for stringent measures to restore accountability in the civil service. They called for prosecution of those responsible for unauthorized salary payments and urged decisive action from the government.
Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Musa, criticized the pervasive corruption and lack of accountability in Nigeria’s civil service, stating, “The lack of accountability in governance is the crux of the matter. Corruption has undermined the effectiveness of the civil service.” Musa advocated for a comprehensive audit of workers and accountability for those involved in corrupt practices.
Debo Adeniran, Executive Director of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, condemned the negligence of civil service leaders, calling for their dismissal and stressing the importance of supervision and performance evaluation.
Emmanuel Onwubiko of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria emphasized the need for consequences for those responsible, urging accountability even for those who initially benefited from the funds.
Okechukwu Nwagunma, Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, deemed the practice unacceptable and called for stricter controls over public servants traveling abroad.
Biodun Sowunmi of the Think Tank Group attributed the issue to systemic failure and urged the government to act decisively to identify and punish those exploiting the system.
Comrade Alex Omotehinse, President of the Centre for Human and Social Economic Rights, criticized anti-corruption agencies for their selective approach in combating corruption, urging thorough investigations into the ministry’s role in such cases.
The incident underscores ongoing challenges with ghost workers in the federal civil service, despite past efforts to remove them. The government’s Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System previously identified and removed thousands of ghost workers, saving billions of Naira.
In conclusion, the case of Sabitu Adams highlights the need for robust measures to curb corruption in Nigeria’s civil service and ensure proper management of public funds. Vigorous enforcement and accountability mechanisms are essential to prevent such abuses and strengthen public trust in governance.
