Rivers State Govt Pays Promotions Allowances After 16 Years

In keeping with the promises of the present state administration, Governor Siminalayi Fubara has brought smiles to Thousands by paying Rivers State civil servants their promotions which were long overdue.
The former Governor, Nyesom Wike had approved the promotion of over 4,000 Rivers state Civil Servants, just before leaving office at the end of May 2023.
Our investigations reveal that a good number of the so called 4,000 civil servants that were said to have been promoted did not even see their promotion letters on time.
The civil servants who were able to get their promotion letters and convey same to the Accounts Department, were the first set of people to be paid. Others who were not so fortunate have to wait for another month and another pay day.
At this point, teachers were blanked out based on what the representative of the former governor said at the last May Day celebrations.
On that occasion, the secretary to the State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo told teeming state workers that with regard to teachers, their promotions had not been done because the Board to oversee and approve the promotions had not been set up. Our investigations confirmed that even workers at the Hospitals Management Board were also affected, ostensibly because the Board to supervise and approve their promotions had also not been appointed.
However, in a new twist to this promotion saga, the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board have concluded their promotions and the government has approved the promotions which culminated in teachers working under the Universal Basic Education Board, receiving their new grade level salaries for the first time in the month of August.
Further enquires at the Universal Basic Education Board confirmed it was a triple promotion that the teachers got. If a teacher was in level 8, the person will be promoted to level 12, if the teacher is in level 9, that teacher will be promoted to level 13. However, further enquires revealed that the window used to calculate the promotions for older staff was 2012 to 2022.
Reportedly, the UBE Board promoted a total of 15,800 staff while secondary Schools Board promoted a total of 7,202.
Unfortunately for the Senior Secondary teachers, their promotions were not approved for payment because, there is no substantive board. While their colleagues in the Junior Secondary Schools smiled home to the bank, the senior secondary teachers were left wondering what had gone awry in their matter.
Further enquires made at the Ministry of Justice confirmed that the state counsels started received their new level salaries in the August payments.
Some civil servants who spoke to our publication under anonymity became emotional, claiming that they had been kept on the same level for 16 years and that the present promotion exercise was long overdue. They thanked the past governor, Governor Nyesom Wike who commenced the process of promotions and approved the promotions of over 4,000 civil servants. They also gave kudos to Gov. Siminalaiyi Fubara who consolidated on the gains of the previous administration by effecting the payment of a good number of civil servants.
However, contrary to the lively and animated spirits of civil servants generally, some aggrieved civil servants and teachers claim that as their colleague are jubilating and beaming from ear to ear, they were excluded in the payment of the promotions, and no one has been able to explain to them why they were not paid.