Fubara Orders Payroll Cleanup Across 23 Rivers LGAs, Says No Politics in Ghost Workers Crackdown

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has approved the implementation of recommendations from a comprehensive staff payroll verification exercise aimed at eliminating ghost workers and addressing bloated salary structures across the state’s 23 local government areas.

Fubara disclosed this on Monday while commissioning the Omademe Internal Roads Project in Ikwerre Local Government Area, saying the exercise was part of his administration’s efforts to strengthen fiscal discipline and ensure that public funds are properly managed.

The governor said the issue of inflated local government payrolls predated his administration, noting that the former Local Government Service Commission had commenced efforts to address it before the emergency rule in the state.

According to him, following his return from what he described as a “sabbatical leave” and the constitution of a new commission, he remained committed to resolving the issue.

Fubara, who served as a Treasury Officer before entering politics, said his experience in public finance informed his decision to deploy information and communication technology personnel to support the committee conducting the verification exercise.

He stressed that the committee was expected to operate independently and objectively, without political interference.

Advertisement

“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.”

The governor said his administration was not opposed to genuine employment but insisted that recruitment into the public service must follow due process.

He urged individuals and political actors to stop attributing the payroll exercise to political considerations, maintaining that government decisions should be based on facts rather than partisan interests.

Fubara said he had approved the implementation of the committee’s recommendations and remained committed to the decision.

On the Omademe road project, the governor said the infrastructure was part of his administration’s broader plan to open up rural communities, improve connectivity and stimulate economic activities.

He assured Rivers residents that his administration would continue delivering projects and adding value to the state until the end of its tenure.

Advertisement

The governor also called on political leaders across Rivers State to sustain the prevailing peace and move beyond the political disputes of the past.

Fubara urged stakeholders to focus on the future and work collectively for the development of the state.

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 2024.

According to Nwofor, the project consists of 10 internal roads covering about 8.6 kilometres, with side drains and outfall discharge systems.

Punch reports that the project includes a 100-millimetre asphaltic layer, 8.7 kilometres of concrete side drains and a three-kilometre outfall drainage system designed to reduce the risk of localised flooding.

The Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Charles Wobodo, commended the governor for the infrastructure development but called for additional road projects to further expand the council’s road network.

Advertisement