Governor Targets Manpower Gaps After Biometric Cleanup, Announces Fresh Gratuity Payments
Published by Alphapressmedia
GOMBE, September 10, 2026 — A major recruitment drive is set to begin in Gombe State as Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya moves to inject fresh manpower into the civil service following biometric reforms that exposed staffing gaps, eliminated irregularities and established a clearer picture of the state’s workforce.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya disclosed the plan while swearing in 19 newly appointed Permanent Secretaries at the International Conference Centre, Gombe, describing the exercise as part of a broader strategy to strengthen the civil service, fill critical manpower shortages and leave behind stronger public institutions before the end of his administration in May 2027.
The Governor said the Head of Civil Service and the State Civil Service Commission have been directed to undertake a comprehensive manpower needs assessment across ministries, departments and agencies, which will determine the scope of the planned recruitment.
The development comes as the administration also moves to settle outstanding obligations to retirees, with Governor Inuwa Yahaya announcing another tranche of gratuity payments before the end of September 2026 and expressing confidence that the remaining backlog would be cleared by the first quarter of 2027.
The Governor disclosed that more than ₦33 billion had already been paid in gratuities since his administration came into office, saying about 70 per cent of the liabilities were inherited.
