The government of the State of Osun in southwest Nigeria has launched a smartcard for its civil servants, aimed at intensifying the use of ICT to achieve effectiveness in administration and put an end to challenges posed by ghost workers.
The smartcard project, which is a tripartite arrangement between Osun State Government, Chams Plc and First Bank Plc, can be used within and outside Nigeria.
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, governor of the state, said the smartcard would also bring about an enhancement in the payment of workers’ salaries.
“Through this smart card system, the workers can get their monies paid directly to their accounts instead of through any intermediary points,” he said, with the smartcard system able to adequately confirm identities before payments.
For pensioners in the state, the governor said the system takes away the stress of going through multiple verification steps before they access their money.
“The smart card eliminates ghost workers in the system. The card is linked to a credit or debit card and gives the owner access to his or her salary account, which they use to withdraw up to 20 per cent of the salary with or without money in their account,” he said.
“The card carries the fingerprint of the card holder with which they can identify themselves.”
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