The Kaduna government has sacked over 4,000 workers from the state’s civil service.

Jafaru Sani, commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, said on Tuesday that the affected workers are from the state’s local service commission.

Sani said while 3,000 of the affected workers were retired, the others were laid off.

He said the measure is part of efforts of the state government to renew public service in the state and also cut down overhead cost.

The commissioner added that the state government will pay all the affected workers their retirement benefits and other entitlements.

“It is a known fact that the LGAs were overburdened by redundant and unproductive staff who are contributing nothing to the development of the councils,” he said.

“Because of the over-bloated staff, the LGAs are doing nothing other than paying salaries and end up becoming more or less a poverty alleviation centres, where people just go to collect money and go home.

“To ensure development at the local levels therefore, we have to do what is right by downsizing the redundant staff to free some funds that would be injected in developmental projects.

“With the disengagement, the supporting members of staff at the 23 LGAs are now 6,732, excluding primary school teachers and primary health care workers.”

The development is coming about two weeks after the state government revealed plans to sack 21,780 teachers for failing a competency test it organised.

Azeez