President Bola Tinubu has directed that all civil servants drawing salaries from the government after relocating abroad must refund the money.

The President also ordered that the supervisors and department heads of these culprits be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud under their watch.

Tinubu gave this directive on Saturday at an award night organised by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF) to commemorate the 2024 Civil Service Week. The event also honoured outstanding civil servants in core ministries.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, the President expressed dismay over the attitude of these "ghost workers".

Tinubu said that during his recent visit to South Africa, he was "particularly struck by the revelations shared by the Head of the Civil Service regarding employees who had relocated abroad while drawing salaries without formally resigning".

The President stressed that while it is heartening to hear that measures have been taken to address this issue, those responsible must be held accountable and made to make restitution.

He stated that the culprits must refund the money they have fraudulently collected, and their supervisors and department heads must also be punished for enabling the fraud.

Tinubu reiterated that the government would take appropriate measures to ensure the culprits are punished and the money is refunded to the government treasury.

The President acknowledged the challenges facing the civil service sector and reaffirmed his administration's commitment to ensuring the welfare and development of all civil servants to deliver optimal performance for the growth of the nation.