FG to block salaries paid to ghost workers from March

The Federal Government has ordered that salaries of federal civil servants who failed to complete a nationwide verification and skills assessment will be stopped from March 2026.

9news Nigeria reports that the decision follows the conclusion of the Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis carried out across the Federal Civil Service.

The directive was contained in an official memo issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and signed by the Head of Service, Didi Esther Walson-Jack.

The memo was addressed to the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Tunji Olaopa, and was seen on Tuesday.

The audit exercise, known as the PASGA Project, began in 2025 as part of efforts to reform the public service.

It was introduced after a directive by President Bola Tinubu during the 2025 International Civil Service Week.

The aim was to ensure that only qualified and properly placed workers remain in the system and to identify irregular names on the federal payroll.

Although the process started last year, the Office of the Head of Service said some officers had not completed either the physical verification or the online skills assessment.

As a result, a final two-week window has been approved to allow affected workers to regularise their records before the exercise is permanently closed.

According to the memo, the final mop-up verification will take place from February 16 to February 27, 2026, in Abuja.

The physical verification will be conducted at Atiku Hall, Block A, First Floor, and Afolabi Hall, Block D, First Floor, both located at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

The online skills assessment must also be completed within the same period.

The government made it clear that the opportunity is strictly for officers who still have pending issues.

It added that completion of the PASGA exercise requires participation in both the physical verification and the online assessment.

Any officer who fails to complete the two stages within the approved timeframe will be regarded as non-compliant.

The memo further stated that salaries of workers who remain non-compliant after the February 27 deadline will be stopped starting from March 2026.

It also warned that such officers may face administrative procedures that could lead to the termination of their appointments in line with the Public Service Rules..