Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has explained why his administration conducted a staff verification exercise targeting those he described as “ghost” workers across the 23 local government areas of the state.
The governor who gave the explanation on Monday, during the inauguration of the Omademe internal roads project in Ikwerre Local Government Area, said the verification exercise and implementation of the report was borne out of the administration’s resolved to entrench fiscal discipline within the public service.
The issue of bloated salary payrolls at the local government level, Governor Fubara disclosed, has been a lingering challenge even before he assumed office, adding that there was the need to tackle it headlong.
According to Governor Fubara, the state Local Government Service Commission was already working on the issue before the emergency rule in the state, adding that he was still determined to resolve the issue.
He noted that the committee was designed to handle the exercise with utmost objectivity and integrity, ensuring that the assignment was devoid of politics.
“It doesn’t matter whether the people are my supporters. It doesn’t matter whether they are people from the other side. Now there is no other side. We are all Rivers people.
“I want to ensure that the right thing is done. I’m not against you being employed. But the issue is that if you have to be employed, you have to be employed through the proper channel.
“So, anybody who is writing anything, saying that it has something to do politically, please desist from it. Everything about this state mustn’t be tied to politics. It mustn’t be tied to myself and because of this and that.
“No. please, at times, let’s be very objective and look beyond the issue of politics and look at facts. So, I want to say here, that I approved the implementation of that recommendation and I stand by it,” he said.
Governor Fubara described the Omademe road project as part of his administration’s goal of opening up rural communities and linking them to other communities to enhance easy movement and boost economic activities.
He pledged that his administration would continue to do what is right and befitting for Rivers’ people until the last day in office.
“We want to say it publicly here that it’s not about the number of days, but what matters in the life of every administration is the value that is added. So, please, nobody should lose any hope. We will continue to add value till the last day.
“And who knows? God might have another different thing for us. So, please, I want everybody to cheer up. We are working as one now. Let us sustain that tempo for the good of Rivers State. For the good of Rivers State. That is where I stand, and I am not shifting grounds on that”, he said.
Read also:
- Fubara Unveils 105-Bed Omoku Zonal Hospital
- Fubara Hails Team Rivers for Winning Tinubu Inter-Schools Debate Championship
- Fubara Advocates Vocational Education Reform to Tackle Unemployment in Nigeria
Governor Fubara also charged political leaders across the state to join hands with him in sustaining the prevailing peace and putting the past political crisis behind them.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Works, Prof. Temple Nwofor, had provided some insight into the road project, saying the contract for the internal roads was awarded to Setraco Construction Limited in February 2024, while work commenced in November 2024.
The project comprises 10 distinct internal roads spanning approximately 8.6 kilometres, complete with side drains and outfall discharge systems.
It features a 100mm asphaltic layer, 8.7 kilometres of concrete side drains and a three-kilometre outfall drainage system designed to prevent localised flooding.
