Oyo State Government is currently conducting Civil Service Bio-Data Verification Screening of its workforce. The state’s Head of Service, Mr Soji Eniade,said.

Eniade told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Wednesday that the exercise, which commenced on Monday, witnessed the screening of many categories of workers.

He explained that the verification was to ascertain the number of the workforce.

He added that ``this type of exercise is common in every organisation because it is a way of having the bio-data of all workers.’’

The head of service said ``there is nothing new about the exercise since it is an in-house thing.’’

However, a civil servant who wants to remain anonymous said he is not comfortable with the exercise.

He said ``I am surprise that the verification is coming at a time when Federal Government is giving states a bail out to pay workers' salary arrears.

``We are worried that the exercise may lead to cutting the workforce’’, he said.

Meanwhile, efforts to get the Oyo State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Waheed Olojede to comment on the exercise proved abortive, as he did not answer his calls. (NAN)

Photo shows: Gov. Ajimobi