Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Iormem Alia has announced plans to reintegrate local government workers who were disengaged in 2011 and 2012 back into the Benue State payroll.
The move is part of his administration’s ongoing effort to correct past injustices and restore fairness within Benue’s public service system, particularly at the grassroots level.
In a circular issued by the Benue State Local Government Service Commission and signed by Owoicho Odeh, Director of Administration and Finance, for the Chairman of the Commission, dated 10th October 2025, the government directed that a screening exercise be conducted for all affected staff.
The circular, which was addressed to all Local Government Chairmen and the Director-General of Services and Administration, stated that the exercise would cover workers employed in 2011 and 2012 who were later removed from the government payroll.
It advised all concerned staff to take note of the approved timetable and make themselves available for the screening.
The Commission emphasized the need for strict compliance with the schedule to ensure a seamless process.
According to the statement, only staff whose names appear on the approved lists would be attended to during the exercise.
It further instructed the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) across the 23 local government areas to mobilize all affected workers for the screening.
The screening is scheduled to commence on the 20th of October 2025 and will continue through the 1st of November 2025.
The exercise will take place daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Local Government Service Commission Headquarters in Makurdi. Each local government council will be attended to on designated days as outlined in the timetable.
A mop-up exercise has also been planned to accommodate those who may miss their scheduled dates, with Zone A taking place on the 30th of October, Zone B on the 31st of October, and Zone C on the 1st of November 2025.
Affected workers are expected to present essential documents, including their first appointment and confirmation letters, their last promotion letter, certificate of local government origin, and either a birth certificate or declaration of age.
They are also required to provide all academic qualifications, a valid means of identification, their bank account details, BVN, bank name, and National Identification Number (NIN).
Governor Alia’s directive represents a major step toward addressing the long-standing grievances of local government workers who were removed from the payroll more than a decade ago.
The decision is seen as part of his administration’s broader commitment to rebuilding trust in public institutions and ensuring that legitimate workers receive the recognition and entitlements they deserve.
Officials believe that the screening exercise will pave the way for the reinstatement of qualified personnel, restoring not only their employment status but also confidence in the transparency and fairness of the state government’s employment practices.
