Business
Zamfara To Sack 7,000 Workers
Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara on Wednesday said the
government would sack 7,000 workers as recommended by the Workers Verification
Committee set up by the government.
The committee in July submitted an interim report which
stated that only 21,067 out the 28,183 workers on the government’s payroll were
verified.
The report added that more than half of the workers in
Zamfara State Government House were genuine.
The report generated a controversy when the governor’s
directed that only those duly verified should be paid the August salary
although the final report had not been submitted to the government.
Yari, said when he paid a Sallah homage on the Emir of
Birmin Magaji, Alhaji Ahmad Umar, on Wednesday that he would implement the
report by sacking all ‘redundant‘ and ‘ghost‘ workers.
He, however, promised better conditions of service for
genuine workers.
“Our idea of verifying the workforce is not intended to sack
workers but let nobody be in doubt of the government’s resolve to delete from
our payroll all those workers who are discovered as redundant or ghost.
“There is no justification for any government to allow
married women and children who never knew the way to any office to continue to
collect salaries for doing nothing,“ he said.
Yari said the verification was aimed at sanitising the civil
service by ensuring that only genuine workers were receiving salaries from the
government.
He said that from the verification report, it was discovered
that out of 11,000, only 3,000 teachers were qualified to teach in primary
schools.
The governor also said that his administration would look
into requests for road construction, and provision of potable water in
communities in the next phase of his development programme.
He called on the people of the state to continue to pray for
peace and unity for the country to ensure development.
The facility will be disbursed through participating Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), which will in turn extend the loans to their customers, particularly SMEs, as they directly interface with businesses at the grassroots level.
The Executive Director of COMCIN, Mr. Micheal Ogbaa who represented the Chairman, Dr. Iredele Oyedele (FCA, FCCA), said the initiative is designed to strengthen micro-lending institutions and expand access to finance for grassroots entrepreneurs, particularly women and youths in the informal sector.
Ogbaa explained that COMCIN does not lend directly to individuals but works through its network of microfinance and cooperative institutions, which in turn provide loans to end users.
“We came together to advocate for the microfinance ecosystem. Commercial banks often exclude people at the grassroots, but our members are positioned to reach them. This facility will empower them to do more,” he said.
He noted that the loan scheme offers low interest rates and flexible repayment plans, making it more accessible to small business owners.
According to him, about 90 percent of beneficiaries are expected to be women, who play a key role in sustaining families and driving economic activities at the local level.
“Our focus is on traders, service providers, and players in the informal sector. These are the real movers of the economy. By supporting them, we are strengthening families and contributing to national development,” he added.
Ogbaa disclosed that eligible SMEs with proven integrity and business track records could access up to N5 million each through participating micro-lending institutions. The rollout has commenced in Lagos and will extend to Abuja, Enugu, and other regions, including the South-West, South-East, and North-East.
He said 12 micro-lending institutions have already benefited from the scheme, while 85 applications are currently being processed under the pilot phase.
“Our target is to reach at least 100,000 SMEs nationwide. We are building a platform that connects funding partners with credible micro-lending institutions, creating a reliable channel for financial inclusion,” Ogbaa said.
He added that COMCIN is also working to attract larger funding pools from development finance institutions and private investors, noting that successful implementation of the pilot phase would boost confidence and unlock more capital for SMEs.
“We have seen encouraging testimonies from early beneficiaries. As we demonstrate transparency and efficiency, more institutions will be willing to channel funds through us,” he said.
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