The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is planning to probe some directors in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government over cases of employment racketeering.

According to The Nation, the Director-General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Dansuki Arabi, disclosed that no less than 70, 000 workers with questionable employment papers were detected and weeded out of the service last week.

Arabi disclosed this at a ministerial press briefing organised by the Presidential Media Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Arabi added that the introduction of the Integration Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) had led to the reduction of the Federal Civil Service personnel to 720,000.

Meanwhile, the report by The Nation further quoted a source to have said: “There is a lot of rot in the Federal Civil Service, especially at the top levels. Before now, the MDAs had the autonomy to recruit. Sadly, some abused this process. Some assistant directors forge and issue fake employment letters to desperate job seekers.

“The number of fake employment letters is overwhelming, with some MDAs being overstaffed. For some time now, we have not posted anyone to the Ministry of Environment. But they keep calling us that the number of workers posted to their ministry is overwhelming.

“After investigating, we could not verify most employments and postings.

“Some people in the service are experts in forging the signatures of directors and issuing fake employment and promotion letters.

“I can imagine how much they realise monthly from ghost workers. They exploit the desperation of some Nigerians in search of jobs. The money they make from ghost workers, issuing fake employment and promotion letters is simply unimaginable”.

The source expressed optimism that fake employment and ghost workers would be reduced through the ongoing civil service reform.