A dispute between the Taraba State Accountant General’s office, the Head of Service, and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) regarding the biometric verification and data capture of civil servants has been resolved following a three-hour meeting.

The meeting, held on Friday at the Ministry of Finance, brought together State Head of Service Dr. Ahmed Kara, Accountant General Mr. Gaius Danjuma, NLC Chairman Comrade Peter Jediel, the Director of the State Security Service (SSS), and members of the staff verification and data capture committee.

Abdulkadir Haruna Abubakar, chairman of the staff verification and data capture committee, stated that all outstanding issues had been “amicably resolved.” 

He dismissed rumours of unrest, confirming that the exercise had commenced and that approximately 1,000 civil servants were expected to be captured on the first day, despite a delayed start.

“The exercise began at the Accountant General’s office, the Ministry of Finance, and the State Board of Internal Revenue (BIR),” Abubakar explained, adding that it was scheduled to last for one month.

Accountant General Gaius Danjuma also refuted claims of a crisis, describing them as “unfounded.” He asserted that the staff biometric verification and data capture was a routine exercise conducted in various states and was not unique to Taraba.

“There was no rift between my office, the NLC, and the Head of Service,” Danjuma stated. “Any grey areas have been resolved, and civil servants have been informed. You can see us all shaking hands, laughing, and leaving the meeting together. We are all working towards a common goal.”

It is recalled that on March 4th, the organised labour in the state, under the auspices of the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC), had issued a directive to civil servants to boycott the biometric exercise, which was scheduled to begin on March 6th, until the dispute was resolved.

The joint letter was signed by NLC State Secretary Comrade Buba Adamu Wadumayi and TUC State Secretary Comrade Paulina Ishaya.

Attempts to reach NLC State Chairman Comrade Peter Jediel for comment were unsuccessful.