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By Abraham Maina Joda

As a proud son of Taraba State, I write this appeal with a heavy heart and a deep sense of responsibility. What is happening today in our civil service payroll system is not just a technical problem—it is a moral crisis, a governance crisis, and a dangerous indication of a system that is gradually losing its grip on accountability.

The Taraba State civil service, despite being the single largest employer of labour in the state, represents less than 5% of our population. Yet, even with this relatively small number, we have failed—woefully—to maintain a clean, credible, and transparent payroll.

This is not just disappointing; it is shameful.
It is an indictment on institutions that are funded by the commonwealth of our people.

If those entrusted with managing the affairs of fewer than 5% of Tarabans cannot do so competently, how then can they manage the affairs of the other two million citizens who depend on government for development, protection, and prosperity?

A Crisis That Has Gone On For Too Long

Today, civil servants have endured four months without salaries, and many families are suffering in silence. While they are expected to serve diligently, they cannot even access what rightfully belongs to them. What makes this worse is the confusion, contradictory data, and finger-pointing between the Payroll Verification Committee and the Office of the Accountant-General.

How do we explain that:

The Committee flagged 7,800 names,

The Accountant-General insists only 4,049 workers are affected,

The Committee claimed 1,410 cleared workers,

The Accountant-General says only 508 are truly valid,

The Committee alleged 7,357 ghost workers,

The AG says many of those names came from authorized recruitment?

And as though that confusion was not enough, we are now hearing allegations that over ₦20 million was wrongfully paid to 21 officers in July 2025, allegedly through a deliberately doctored payroll file.

If this is true, then it is not inefficiency—it is sabotage. It is corruption. It is injustice against the people of Taraba State.

This Problem Did Not Start Today

Let us be sincere. What we are witnessing is the result of years of institutionalised corruption, weak oversight, and deep-rooted incompetence. It is a system where files are manipulated, records are distorted, and committees sometimes serve private interests instead of public good.

But we cannot continue like this.
Taraba cannot continue like this.

A Government That Cannot maintain a credible payroll Cannot Inspire Confidence

If the state workforce shows this level of disorder in managing its own affairs, how can the people trust the same system to properly implement policies that affect security, education, healthcare, agriculture, and the welfare of millions?

This payroll crisis is gradually eroding public trust in government institutions, and if not urgently addressed, that trust may be lost completely.

My Appeal to His Excellency, Governor Agbu Kefas

Your Excellency, you have promised reforms. You have promised transparency. You have promised a repositioned Taraba. But this payroll confusion is threatening to overshadow your good intentions.

I appeal to you— leader to citizen—take decisive action now.

Tarabans are not asking for too much.
We are only asking for justice, transparency, and a functional system.

What Should Be Done Immediately

1. Publish the verified list of cleared workers—whether it is 1,410 or 508.

2. Order an independent audit to reconcile the conflicting figures.

3. Investigate all allegations of file manipulation and overpayments—no matter who is involved.

4. Pay legitimately verified workers without any further delay.

5. Strengthen the payroll system to permanently prevent manipulation.

6. Hold individuals accountable—openly and decisively.

Taraba Deserves Better

Your Excellency, the people of Taraba are watching. We are hopeful. We are patient. But we are also deeply worried. When the civil service collapses, governance collapses. When trust breaks, leadership becomes impossible.

For the sake of our state, for the sake of our people, for the sake of our future—
please fix this payroll crisis once and for all.

Taraba State is too precious to be held hostage by confusion, incompetence, and corruption in it’s payroll.
We deserve a system we can trust.
We deserve a payroll that works and is transparent
We deserve a future where integrity is not optional.

With respect, concern.

Abraham Maina Joda
A Concerned Citizen of Taraba State