Dr Sarah Adi, the Commissioner of Finance in Taraba State, has distinguished herself as one of the strongest drivers of Governor Agbu Kefas’ reform agenda.
Her tenure has been marked by bold and transformative steps that have restored order, accountability, and transparency to the state’s financial system.
One of her most notable achievements is her relentless war against the ghost workers’ cartel that had crippled Taraba’s payroll system for years.
By blocking leakages and closing avenues through which corrupt individuals siphoned government funds, Dr Adi has saved the state billions of naira and redirected those resources towards genuine workers and development.
Her reforms were particularly visible when Governor Agbu Kefas approved the employment of 1,500 staff across the state. Instead of implementing the directive, the cartel manipulated the process, inflating the figures to 6,000 on paper. This act doubled the wage bill from about N3 billion to over N6 billion monthly, creating a huge financial burden.
To tackle this, Dr Adi spearheaded the introduction of biometric verification across the civil service to identify legitimate workers. The exercise revealed the shocking extent of fraud: ghost workers were being paid while many genuine workers were sidelined.
In response, she introduced stricter controls, including a directive for every worker to submit their appointment letters. These bold measures restored sanity to the system but also made her the target of powerful cartels intent on sabotaging her efforts.
Despite the blackmail and attacks, Dr Adi has remained undeterred. Her commitment to integrity and transparency has made her a beacon of good governance in Taraba State. She continues to ensure that salaries are paid to real workers, not fictitious names, thereby strengthening the state’s financial base and public trust in government.
It is clear that the attacks on Dr Adi are desperate attempts by vested interests to weaken the state’s anti-corruption reforms. But their tactics will not succeed. Tarabans must rally around her and defend the progress already made under her leadership.
The state faces two choices: allow the ghost workers’ cartel to thrive and drain its resources, or support reform-minded leaders like Dr Sarah Adi to destroy the cartel completely. The administration of Governor Agbu Kefas has made its choice, and Tarabans must also stand firmly on the side of progress, accountability, and integrity.
Dr Adi’s achievements are proof that with the right leadership, corruption can be defeated, and Taraba State can thrive.
