Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has charged newly sworn-in chairman and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission to achieve greater productivity, promote highest standard and insist on best practices in the discharge of legislative services.
Gov. Fubara also urged the commission members to ensure that parliamentary staff are put through disciplinary conducts in the discharge of their duties.
The governor gave the charge shortly after the chairman and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission were sworn-in at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday.
The governor also sworn-in the chairman and members of the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission.
Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja, is the chairman of the state House of Assembly service commission, with Dr. Kennedy Ebeku, Soberekon Clark, Jones Ogbonda, and Kingston Sylvanus, as members.
For the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission, GoodLife Ben will serve as the chairman, with Chief Emmanuel Jaja, Ms. Betty Warmate, Jerome Chimenem, Prince O. Ohochukwu, Philip Okparaji, and Christian Amadi as members.
Gov. Fubara explained that the constitution and swearing-in of members of the the respective commissions, were delayed with the hope that all former members of the political block will come back together.
He said: “As it stands now, our position is very clear. The ship that we are onboard is clear, and the activities of governance have to continue.
“So, this swearing-in is to give these two units of government – particularly, the House of Assembly Service Commission, a formal commission so that you can start carrying out the activities of promotion, discipline and every other thing that has to do with the legislative staff activity.
“This assignment is not business as usual. You have to take full charge, and you have to ensure that there is discipline in the service.”
Speaking on the Local Government Service Commission, the governor said an acting chairman was previously appointed to hold brief, while the situation was being studied, but quickly added that as it stands now, a full fledged commission has to be constituted to steer affairs.
He stated that the various local government councils have been mandated to commence payment of the N85,000.00 minimum wage to their workers.
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However, Gov. Fubara said that mandate had met with series of complaints about ghost workers or inflated payroll staff list, which required proper scrutiny in order to ensure that only genuine workers benefit.
He said: “You must ensure that you support the local government chairmen to get rid of those fake names in the payroll, so that when they implement the N85,000.00 minimum wage, it will not be too much burden on them.
“I am not saying you should go and dismiss people who are genuinely employed. Hear me very well: there must be proper scrutiny to be sure that whoever is there must be a genuine civil servant employed by the commission, and must have met all the conditions.”
Also, he directed the commission to address the issue of staff stagnation on a particular grade level, which is an ugly practice, and make sure those due promotion truly benefit from statutory progression in the service.
He said: “The second side is, you have the issue of promotion, you must also ensure that they are adequately promoted, so that they can start enjoying like their counterparts in the mainstream.
“There is too much dragging of their promotion, for somebody to be on Grade Level 4 for over 30 years is not good. It is not good news.”
