A verification exercise for federal workers turned into a nightmare when a pregnant woman collapsed and lost her baby. 

The woman was among the 17,600 workers accused of being “ghost workers” by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation that had to travel from different states to Abuja to prove their identity.

The Joint Public Service Negotiating Council condemned the exercise as inhuman and chaotic. 

In a statement jointly issued by Comrades Benjamin Anthony and Bomoi Mohammed Ibraheem, National Chairman, and National Secretary, respectively, they noted that some of the workers from Bauchi and Borno states lost their lives on their way to Abuja for the verification exercise.

It also said that the place where the exercise was held was filthy and smelly, with human waste everywhere.

“It is very saddened to State that in the process of workers coming from their various destinations, the untoward occurred; for instance, information had it that some workers from Bauchi and Borno States died on their way to Abuja for the exercise, two workers collapsed in the process but were eventually rescued while a pregnant woman lost her pregnancy and Seventy people were injured due to pressures and over crowdedness and stampede.

“On visit to the Public Service institute of Nigeria (PSIN), it was discovered that the sanitary facilities have been over stretched, as the whole place was so littered with human waste with strong stench on the premises,” the statement read.

The JPSNC appealed to the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to show compassion and address the issue urgently. 

It suggested that the exercise should be decentralized and held at the state capitals to avoid more casualties. 

It also demanded that the salaries of the affected workers, which were stopped since September 2023, should be paid immediately.