The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has approved the confirmation of appointment for 1,659 staff of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), some of whom were first employed as far back as 2016.
The affected workers were among 2,281 candidates who sat for a confirmation examination conducted by the FCT Civil Service Commission on February 28, 2026.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Senior Special Assistant to the minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, who quoted the Chairman of the FCT Civil Service Commission, Emeka Ezeh, as explaining the outcome of the exercise.
According to Ezeh, the confirmation process began with invitations sent to more than 2,500 officers.
“2,512 candidates were invited to present themselves for the confirmation examination but only 2,281 turned up for the examination,” he said.
He added that the absence of several invited candidates had raised concerns within the commission.
“A total of 224 officers were absent, fueling suspicion that they could be ghost workers,” Ezeh stated.
The commission chairman noted that many of the affected employees had waited years for their confirmation.
“Some of the workers who sat for the confirmation were employed as far back as 2016 and 2019, while others were employed shortly before Wike assumed office in August 2023,” he said.
Meanwhile, the FCT Civil Service Commission has concluded arrangements to conduct promotion exercises for 2025 and 2026 following the minister’s approval.
The move, according to officials, aligns with the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to improve morale and productivity among workers in the FCTA.
Affected candidates have been advised to visit the commission’s official website to check the status of their confirmation.
