There was deep resentment on Sunday over a United Kingdom-based Nigerian taxi driver, who remained on the Nigerian Government’s payroll despite migrating to the UK in 2022.
Members of Civil society organisations (CSOs) who spoke to media men on Sunday said the report was an indication of how deeply-rooted corruption was in the Nigerian civil service.
President Bola Tinubu had last week ordered a crackdown on civil servants who were still collecting salaries in Nigeria despite migrating abroad.
“The culprits must be made to refund the money they have fraudulently collected,” he said.
BBC had on Sunday reported that a 36-year-old Nigerian civil servant, referred to as Sabitu Adams (not real name), who moved to the United Kingdom in 2022, was still collecting the salary of a civil servant.
The report says, despite working as a taxi driver in the UK, Adams disclosed to the BBC that he continues to receive N150,000 monthly from the government job in Nigeria due to an understanding with his boss.
He said: “When I heard about the President’s directive, I smiled because I know I am doing better here – and not worried.”
Adams said he thought he would probably return after spending some years abroad when asked why he refused to resign from his position after relocating to the UK.
“To be honest, I didn’t resign because I wanted to leave that door open in case I choose to go back to my job after a few years,” he said.