Gombe gov suspends salaries of 135 workers for absenteeism

Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has ordered the suspension of the salaries of 135 staff of the state Primary Health Care Development Agebcy for absenting themselves from work.

The governor gave the order after receiving the report of a committee set up to carry out a verification exercise of staff members of the agency.

The committee, headed by the state Head of Service, Alhaji Bappayo Yahaya, was saddled with the responsibility of ascertaining the number of staff on the payroll of the PHCDA, as well as determine the gap in human resources to enable the state government plan for staff recruitment, training, welfare and resource allocation for improved health care services.

Yahaya said: “About 4,304 primary health care staff members were verified across the state, out of which 135 personnel were found to be absent.

“Having studied the report, I hereby direct immediate suspension of the salaries of all the PHC staff who failed to physically appear before the verification committee.

“All PHC staff with non-relevant qualifications be transferred out of the agency and payroll to other departments, where their qualifications are needed within their respective Local Government Areas.”

Similarly, the state Ministry of Health said about 20 medical doctors on government’s payroll were not at their duty posts for years, adding that their salaries have been suspended, while a committee would be set up with a view to prosecuting and retrieving salaries paid them.