Biometric attendance machines will eliminate ghost workers

Emmanuel Nicholas

The Akwa Ibom State Government has announced its intention to recruit 3,000 new employees to address the vacancies identified during a recent comprehensive biometric verification exercise.

This exercise revealed the existence of numerous ghost workers, individuals who are registered on payrolls but do not physically exist or perform any duties within the civil service.

These fictitious employees were found across various sectors, including health, education, engineering, and general administration, where their names appeared solely on payment vouchers without any corresponding physical presence or work output.

Why do we have ghost workers
Ghost workers predominantly arise from several critical factors, including brain drain, the demise of employees, workers who have transitioned to better-paying jobs without formally resigning, and fraudulent insertion of fictitious employees into the payroll system by criminals within the service. This results in salaries being disbursed into fabricated accounts.

In the health sector, the high demand for Nigerian medical professionals abroad has led to a continuous daily exodus of skilled workers seeking improved welfare and better remuneration in foreign countries.

Similarly, this trend extends to technical staff, engineers, and other core professionals within the civil service, many of whom have either relocated abroad or secured more lucrative positions in the private sector.

In some rural public schools today, there are as few as four to five teachers in certain primary and secondary schools; however, official staff registers often indicate that between twelve and fifteen teachers have been assigned to these schools.

A significant number of these teachers are unwilling to work in rural areas despite additional government incentives; many have moved to private schools while still receiving salaries from the state government.

Furthermore, numerous teachers have emigrated abroad in pursuit of higher pay and improved living conditions for themselves and their families, but have neglected to formally resign, thereby continuing to draw salaries.

Another category contributing to the phenomenon of ghost workers includes employees who have died while in active service, with their families failing to report their passing, thus allowing salary payments to persist.

Lastly, there exists a group of falsely employed individuals whose names appear solely on vouchers; their details are entered into payroll documents, and funds are disbursed into designated accounts, but these monies ultimately end up in the pockets of a few corrupt individuals.

How to end the existence of ghost workers
To effectively curb the prevalence of ghost workers within the government workforce, a multifaceted approach must be adopted. First and foremost, regular and rigorous biometric attendance machines must be provided to each Ministry, parastatal, commission, and board.

A biometric attendance machine is a device that uses unique physical characteristics (biometrics) like fingerprints, facial recognition, or iris scans to identify and track employee attendance.

These systems automate time tracking, eliminating the need for manual timesheets and reducing errors. They are used by organizations of all sizes to improve accuracy, efficiency, and security in attendance management. They also help in eliminating inactive staff.

These biometric attendance machines should be institutionalized to ensure that every employee on the payroll is physically present and actively engaged in their assigned roles.

This process should leverage advanced technologies such as fingerprint scanning, facial recognition, and digital ID systems to enhance accuracy and prevent fraudulent entries.

After taking attendance for the day, the machine will send the attendance sheet to a centralized database daily. This will help the government identify staff actively working within its employ and prevent individuals from signing attendance books on behalf of others.

Additionally, the government should implement a centralized and integrated Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS) that consolidates employee data across all departments and agencies.

This system would facilitate real-time monitoring, reduce duplication, and enable swift identification of discrepancies.

Transparency and accountability can be further strengthened by conducting periodic independent audits and involving third-party agencies to verify workforce data using the attendance database.

Moreover, strict punitive measures must be enforced against individuals and officials found complicit in perpetuating ghost worker schemes. This includes criminal prosecution, recovery of public funds, and administrative sanctions to serve as deterrents.

Encouraging whistleblowing through protected channels can also help uncover fraudulent activities.

Finally, fostering a culture of integrity and ethical governance within the civil service is crucial. Continuous training and awareness programs should be conducted to sensitize employees and management about the detrimental effects of ghost workers on public resources and service delivery.

By combining technological innovation, robust policy frameworks, and ethical leadership, the government can significantly reduce, if not eliminate, the menace of ghost workers, thereby ensuring efficient utilization of public funds and improved service delivery to the citizenry.

REVIEW OF WORKERS’ WAGES AND WELFARE

Nigerian professionals in healthcare, education, and core engineering sectors are among the best in their fields worldwide. Countries with better worker welfare and salary structures continuously seek to employ these professionals.

To retain our healthcare providers, professors, and engineers, the State Government should review the salary structure of these professionals to discourage them from seeking greener pastures abroad.

This review will help put an end to brain drain and further reduce ghost workers, as many employees currently continue to receive salaries at home after securing employment abroad without formally resigning.

MONITORING RECRUITMENT

The State should establish a clear template to monitor employment, with each sector allocated a specific number of workers to be employed.

All recruits should be registered in the State database, and whenever payroll numbers do not reflect the recruitment database and attendance data, a staff verification exercise should be initiated.

By doing so, ghost workers will be eliminated, ensuring that only legitimate employees receive wages.

In conclusion, the adoption of biometric attendance machines, coupled with improved salary structures, robust monitoring systems, and ethical governance, will go a long way in eradicating ghost workers and enhancing public service delivery in Akwa Ibom State.