The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has approved the confirmation of appointments for 1,659 staff members of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) following a mandatory examination conducted by the FCT Civil Service Commission.
The confirmation exercise, which covered workers employed in various recruitment phases dating back to 2016 and 2019, was held on February 28, 2026. However, the process has raised concerns over potential ghost workers after a significant number of invited personnel failed to show up.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, quoted the Chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Emeka Ezeh, detailing the outcome of the exercise.
According to Mr. Ezeh, a total of 2,512 candidates were invited to sit for the confirmation examination. While 2,281 officers participated, 224 were absent without explanation, casting doubt on their employment status.
“Two thousand five hundred and twelve candidates were invited to present themselves for the confirmation examination, but only 2,281 turned up for the exercise,” Mr. Ezeh said. “A total of 224 officers were absent, fuelling suspicion that they could be ghost workers.”
The commission noted that among those confirmed were employees recruited as far back as 2016 and 2019, as well as individuals employed just before Minister Wike assumed office in August 2023.
In a related development, the FCT Civil Service Commission announced that preparations have been finalized to conduct the 2025 and 2026 promotion exercises for eligible FCTA staff. The statement confirmed that the promotions were authorized by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as part of efforts to boost staff morale and enhance workforce efficiency in alignment with the administration’s Renewed Hope agenda.
