Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has defended his administration’s ongoing purge of ghost workers and irregularly employed staff from the 23 local government councils, insisting that there will be no going back on the exercise.
Fubara said the payroll verification was part of measures to restore fiscal discipline and sanitise the local government service, dismissing claims that the exercise was politically motivated.
The governor spoke on Monday while inaugurating the Omademe Internal Roads Project in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.
He said the bloated payroll system at the local government level predated his administration, adding that he was determined to address the problem after assuming office.
Fubara, who disclosed that he had worked as a Treasury Officer before venturing into politics, said his knowledge of the state’s financial system made him particularly conscious of the need to clean up the payroll.
According to him, the Local Government Service Commission had begun working on the issue before the imposition of the emergency administration in the state. He said that upon his return and the constitution of a new commission, he remained committed to resolving the problem.
The governor said he subsequently approved a comprehensive verification exercise, with ICT personnel deployed to support the committee and ensure that the process was conducted objectively.
He stressed that political affiliation would not influence the outcome of the exercise.
“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.”
Fubara urged those accusing the administration of using the payroll clean-up for political purposes to desist, saying issues concerning the state should not always be viewed through the prism of politics.
He declared that he had approved the implementation of the recommendations arising from the exercise and would not reverse his decision.
“So, I want to say here, that I approved the implementation of that recommendation and I stand by it,” the governor said.
On the Omademe road project, Fubara said the infrastructure was designed to open up rural communities, improve connectivity and stimulate economic activities.
He assured Rivers residents that his administration would continue to deliver projects that add value to their lives 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,” he said.
The governor also called on political leaders and residents of the state to sustain the prevailing peace and put past political differences behind them.
“Just think of where we are coming from. Think of what has happened before. For me, I am not interested in going down that road anymore. What is behind me is behind me. What I am looking at is what is ahead of me,” Fubara said.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Works, Prof. Temple Nwofor, said the Omademe internal roads contract was awarded to Setraco Construction Limited in February 2024, while construction commenced in November of the same year.
Nwofor said the project comprises 10 internal roads covering approximately 8.6 kilometres, with side drains and outfall discharge systems.
He said the project included a 100mm asphaltic layer, 8.7 kilometres of concrete side drains and a three-kilometre outfall drainage system designed to mitigate flooding.
The Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Hon. Charles Wobodo, commended the governor for the project but appealed for more road projects to expand the council’s road network.
