A Nigerian civil servant, who relocated to the United Kingdom in 2022, has revealed he still receives his monthly salary despite not reporting for work.
The 36-year-old man, referred to as Daniel due to the sensitivity of the situation, now works as a taxi driver in the UK. He told the BBC on Sunday that he continues to receive N150,000 monthly from his job in Nigeria, thanks to an understanding with his boss.
Recently, the Federal Government pledged to crack down on government workers who have moved abroad but continue to draw salaries. On June 22, 2024, President Bola Tinubu expressed dismay at revelations by the Head of the Civil Service about employees who have relocated abroad without formally resigning but still receive salaries. He ordered that the “culprits must be made to refund the money they have fraudulently collected.”
President Tinubu stated, “Their supervisors and department heads must also be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud under their watch,” adding that his administration would ensure those responsible are held accountable and restitution is made.
Non-government workers have also been known to receive payments without being part of the nation’s civil service. Some individuals who have quit their government jobs or moved overseas still receive their salaries.
Daniel, a junior official at a government agency, remains unconcerned about the President’s directive, noting that his earnings in the UK surpass his Nigerian government salary. “When I heard about the president’s directive, I smiled because I know I am doing better here – and not worried,” he said.
Daniel admitted he didn’t resign because he thought he might return after a few years abroad. “To be honest, I didn’t resign because I wanted to leave that door open in case I choose to go back to my job after a few years,” he explained.
Daniel is among several Nigerians who have moved abroad but continue to receive monthly pay from the Federal Government. In June 2022, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dr. Dasuki Arabi, revealed that the Federal Government’s Integration Personnel and Payroll Information System had exposed and removed about 70,000 ghost workers from the civil service.
Arabi also noted that the government had saved at least N220 billion and N10 trillion through the Treasury Single Account since its full implementation by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Daniel continues to benefit from the ‘free money’ he hasn’t earned in the past two years, explaining, “I had a good understanding with my boss and he just let me leave.” Unlike typical ghost worker scenarios where deals are struck with superiors to share the salaries, Daniel’s case is different, as he said, “In my case, it wasn’t like that as my boss was a relative.”
