Rivers payroll audit: Fubara insists ghost workers must go

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has defended his administration's decision to conduct a comprehensive payroll verification exercise across all 23 local government areas, aimed at identifying and removing "ghost" workers. Speaking at the inauguration of the Omademe Internal Roads Project, Fubara asserted that the move is crucial for instilling fiscal discipline within the public service.

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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 highlighted that inflated salary payrolls at the local government level have been a persistent challenge predating his tenure. He expressed his determination to address this issue head-on, noting that efforts were underway even before an emergency rule in the state. Upon his return and the constitution of a new Local Government Service Commission, Fubara remained committed to resolving the problem.

Leveraging his background as a former Treasury Officer, Fubara has deployed ICT personnel to guide the committee overseeing the verification exercise. He stressed that the committee is tasked with conducting the exercise with utmost objectivity and integrity, free from political considerations. "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," he stated.

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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 against politicizing the exercise, emphasizing that employment should follow proper channels. He declared his full support for the implementation of the committee's recommendations, stating, "I want to ensure that the right thing is done... So, anybody who is writing anything, saying that it has something to do politically, please desist from it."

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So, anybody who is writing anything, saying that it has something to do politically, please desist from it.

The governor also linked the Omademe road project to his administration's broader goal of developing rural communities, improving connectivity, and stimulating economic activity. He pledged his administration's continued commitment to serving the people of Rivers State effectively until the end of his tenure, focusing on adding value rather than the duration of time.

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Everything about this state mustn’t be tied to politics. It mustn’t be tied to me 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.