Delta govt clarifies EFCC staff verification exercise

Delta State Government has clarified circumstances surrounding the recent verification exercise conducted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), assuring civil servants that there is no cause for alarm over the commission’s activities in the state.

The clarification followed concerns among workers after officials of the EFCC visited some ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to verify personnel records and payroll documents.

Addressing journalists during a press conference marking the 2026 Civil Service Week in Asaba on Monday, the Head of Service, Mininim Oseji, said the state government did not invite the EFCC, explaining that the anti-graft agency initiated the exercise as part of similar operations being carried out across several states.

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According to Oseji, the commission wrote to the state government last year, requesting access to payroll records and nominal rolls as part of efforts to investigate possible cases of ghost workers in public service.

“They wanted to see payrolls and nominal rolls because they have been doing this in other states and there are issues of ghost workers. They have the legal backing to investigate anything considered untoward in that area,” she said.

The Head of Service disclosed that upon receiving the EFCC’s request, she forwarded the correspondence to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for guidance.

“His Excellency said we should go ahead because Delta State has nothing to hide. He has been very transparent about administrative procedures,” she stated.

Oseji said the government subsequently granted approval for the exercise and assigned a senior official to accompany the EFCC team to the affected MDAs.

She explained that chief accounting officers in the ministries and agencies were informed that there was no reason to conceal any information from the commission.

According to her, the Office of the Head of Service was also subjected to the screening exercise.

“They wanted to excuse me from the screening because of my position, but I declined. I said no. They asked for my letter of first appointment, my change of name documents, my identity card and my appointment letter as Head of Service, and I provided all the documents they requested,” she said.

She added that the EFCC officials were satisfied with the records presented and that the government had not received any adverse report from the exercise.

“So far, we have not had any complaints. I am regularly briefed by the officer assigned to accompany them,” she added.

Meanwhile, Oseji highlighted several initiatives introduced by her administration to improve productivity and welfare within the state civil service.

She said efforts were ongoing to transform the Delta State Staff Training Centre into a world-class capacity-building institution modelled after the Singapore Civil Service College, with a focus on discipline, digital skills and citizen-centred service delivery.

The Head of Service also listed the introduction of a staff transportation support scheme, involving a 30-seater coaster bus and a 12-seater Peugeot Expert bus serving workers along the Okpanam, Abraka Junction and Ugbolu routes in Asaba.

Other initiatives, according to her, include a N200,000 award for the best civil servant farmer, financial counselling programmes for workers, and the establishment of an ICT hub.

She further urged civil servants to embrace the revised dress code policy, dismissing claims that corporate attire is excessively expensive and encouraging workers to align with the government’s professional standards.