– Announces major civil service reforms
Port Harcourt — In a stunning revelation, the Rivers State Administration has announced the discovery and removal of a significant number of “ghost workers” and impostors from its payroll, resulting in a massive saving of Five Billion Naira (N5,000,000,000) for the state in a single month.
The state Administrator, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, made the disclosure on Tuesday at the 2025 Civil Service Week Celebration held at the Dr. Obi Wali International Conference Centre in Port Harcourt.
The event, themed “Five Years to 2030: Accelerating Public Service Delivery for a Sustainable Future,” shifted focus from celebration to reform as the Administrator outlined how a comprehensive staff verification exercise had cleansed the government’s payroll.
“This verification exercise has enabled us to distinguish genuine staff from impostors on the payroll,” stated Administrator Ibas before a captivated audience of civil servants and dignitaries. “The ₦5 billion saved will now be invested in critical projects to accelerate development in Rivers State.”
The announcement signals a major victory for the administration’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and transparency. The recovered funds, previously lost to fraudulent payroll activities, are now slated to be redirected into public infrastructure and social programmes that will directly benefit the citizens of Rivers State.
Beyond the financial savings, Administrator Ibas unveiled a sweeping package of reforms designed to revitalize the state’s bureaucracy, which he hailed as the “backbone” of his administration.
Key reforms announced include:
- Wage Increases: An upward review of salaries for heads of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to narrow the gap with political office holders. The administration has also successfully implemented a new N85,000 minimum wage for local government workers.
- Investment in People: A significant investment in training programmes, including the first large-scale capacity building for finance and accounting officers. More training initiatives for senior and middle-level staff are underway.
- Pensioner Welfare: A major boost to the monthly pension allocation, increased from N2 billion to N2.6 billion, to ensure retirees are paid on time. All pensioners have been verified and enrolled in the state’s health scheme.
- Health and Life Insurance: Mandatory enrollment for all workers in a contributory health protection programme, with the government bearing 17% of the cost. A new Group Life Insurance programme will also be launched to protect families of deceased workers.
- Media Revitalization: A full-scale overhaul of state-owned media houses, including the Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation and Television, to restore their competitive edge through new equipment and renovated facilities.
The Administrator also had a direct message for any legitimate worker caught in the verification dragnet: “Workers whose salaries had not been paid should present themselves with the relevant documents for verification. I assure you; such payments will be processed within 24 hours.”
The event also saw the launch of new guiding documents for the civil service. The Acting Head of Service, Dr. (Mrs.) Inyingi Brown, unveiled The Bureaucrat magazine and the Rivers State Civil Service Handbook, alongside a new pledge, vision, and mission statement aimed at fostering integrity and excellence.
Dr. Brown and the Chairman of the State Civil Service Commission, Dr. Barikor Livinus Baribuma, both emphasized the critical role of technology in driving the new era of efficiency, a point further cemented by a keynote address on digital transformation from Galaxy Backbone.
With a cleansed payroll, a reinvigorated reform agenda, and a promise of increased investment in its people, the Rivers State civil service appears poised for a new chapter of productivity and distinction.
