Tension enveloped Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, on Thursday as individuals identified as ghost workers staged a protest at the TY Danjuma House, demanding their reinstatement and payment of four months’ outstanding salaries.
The protesters, who insisted they were genuine employees wrongly tagged as ghost workers despite completing the state government’s verification exercise, appealed to Governor Agbu Kefas to intervene and resolve their grievances.
Chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Pay Us Our Salaries!” and “Four Months No Be Four Days!”, the demonstrators lamented the economic hardship caused by their removal from the state’s payroll.
One of the protesters said, “We have worked tirelessly and deserve our pay. We are not ghosts; we are humans with families to feed.”
DAILY POST correspondent in Jalingo observed that security operatives were immediately deployed to the scene to maintain order and ensure the protest remained peaceful throughout the morning.
Addressing the protesters, Governor Kefas assured them that workers with verified employment records would begin receiving their payments from Monday.
He added that those with irregular employment details would have their cases reviewed to determine their eligibility for payment.
