\n\nThe Federal Government has ordered that salaries of unverified workers in the Federal Civil Service will be stopped from March 2026, as the nationwide audit and skills check comes to an end.
This was stated in a memo issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, signed by the Head of Service, Didi Walson-Jack, and seen by our correspondent on Tuesday.
The memo was addressed to the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, and gave a final deadline for civil servants who have not completed the verification process to sort out their records before the deadline.
The exercise, called the Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis (PASGA), began in 2025 as part of efforts by the government to clean up the public service and make sure that only verified and properly qualified workers remain on the federal payroll. The audit was launched following a directive by President Bola Tinubu to ensure that “the right people with the right skills” are placed in the right jobs.
According to the memo, a final two-week mop-up exercise was approved for the affected workers to complete both parts of the verification — the physical audit and the online skills assessment. This mop-up will take place from February 16 to February 27, 2026, at designated halls in Abuja.
The memo warned that any officer who fails to finish both parts of the verification by the end of the mop-up period will be considered non-compliant and will have their salary stopped from March 2026.
It also noted that those who remain unverified may face administrative action, including possible termination of their appointment, under the Public Service Rules.
The government says the measure is part of a broader effort to fix problems in the civil service, including cases where ghost workers or officers still on the payroll were found to be living or working abroad without proper leave.
Civil service officials have described the audit as necessary to ensure payroll integrity, stop wasteful spending, and help plan a more effective workforce across ministries, departments, and agencies.
The PASGA audit has been one of the key reforms aimed at improving the efficiency and honesty of the federal civil service
