The Kaduna State Government has begun verification of workers both in the employ of the state and the local governments.

Only 71 out of the 9, 786 workers whose names were removed from the payroll recently, have been verified in the ongoing exercise at the Government House, Kaduna.

Mr Bashir Mohammad Director General, Bureau of Public Service Reform, told NAN shortly after the verification that the government would still carry out further scrutiny to determine who should be on the payroll of the government.

“The governor directed that those affected could write to him and those found to be unjustly removed from the payroll would be restored.

“Recently, 21 civil servants who wrote letters of protest to the governor were eventually cleared,” he said.

According to him, the first phase of the verification was conducted at the Government House because of the governor’s desire to discuss with those affected and that it was not a witch-hunting exercise.

One of the civil servants, Mr Justin Barusa, from Chikum Local Government, expressed satisfaction with the verification exercise and hoped that the conclusion of the exercise would ensure the payment of her 11 months salary.

According to her, it was as a result of the letter she wrote to the governor that she was invited for the verification.

Mr Shehu Abubakar, who works for Kaduna South Council, said: “The verification went on smoothly, I am satisfied with the procedure.”

Mrs Salina John, a staff of the Government College, Unguwan Rimi, was happy that her salary which was stopped since February 2916 had been restored during the verification.