President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed that all civil servants drawing salaries from the government after relocating abroad should be sanctioned and made to refund the money.

The president also directed that the supervisors and department heads of the culprits must also be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud under their watch.

Tinubu gave the directive Saturday during the award night organised by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to commemorate the 2024 Civil Service Week.

The event was also to honour some outstanding civil servants in core mandate ministries.

President Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, expressed dismay over the attitude of the ghost workers.

"During my recent visit to South Africa, I kept abreast of the week's activities. I was particularly struck by the revelations the Head of the Civil Service shared regarding employees who had relocated abroad while drawing salaries without formally resigning.

"It is heartening to hear that measures have been taken to address this issue, but we must ensure those responsible are held accountable and restitution is made.

"The culprits must be made to refund the money they have fraudulently collected.

"Their supervisors and department heads must also be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud under their watch," Tinubu said.

He insisted that the government would take appropriate measures to ensure they were punished and the money refunded to the government treasury.

He, however, acknowledged the challenges in the Civil Service sector and reiterated his commitment to address them for optimal performance.

"Our administration acknowledges the challenges the Civil Service is facing. I want to assure you that we are committed to ensuring the welfare and development of all civil servants to deliver optimal performance for the growth of our nation," he said.