Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara. Photo: State government
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has explained the approval by his administration for a comprehensive staff payroll verification exercise targeting “ghost” workers across the 23 local government areas of the state.
The governor, who gave the explanation on Monday during the commissioning of the Omademe Internal Roads Project in Ikwerre Local Government Area, said the approval of the verification exercise and implementation of its report were borne out of the administration’s resolve to entrench fiscal discipline within the public service.
On the issue of bloated salary payrolls at the local government level, Governor Fubara disclosed that it had been a lingering challenge even before he assumed office, and there was a need to tackle it head-on.
According to Governor Fubara, the then Local Government Service Commission was already working on the issue before the unfortunate emergency rule in the state, adding that when he returned from the “sabbatical leave” and a new commission had been put in place, he was still determined to resolve the issue.
