The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, says the state has saved ₦5 billion from its August salary bill after a staff verification exercise exposed ghost workers and payroll impostors.
Ibas made the disclosure on Tuesday at the grand finale of the 2025 Civil Service Week held at the Obi Wali International Conference Centre, Port Harcourt.
According to him, the savings will be redirected to fund critical infrastructure projects and social programmes that will drive sustainable development in the state.
“This verification exercise has enabled us to separate genuine staff from impostors on the payroll,” Ibas said. “The ₦5 billion saved is proof of our commitment to fiscal responsibility. These funds will now be strategically invested in projects that directly benefit the people of Rivers State.”
The event, themed “Five Years to 2030: Accelerating Public Service Delivery for a Sustainable Future”, also featured the unveiling of a new reform agenda for the state civil service.
Key Civil Service Reforms Announced
Enhanced Welfare: Salaries and allowances of Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) will be increased to reduce wage disparities with political appointees. A new ₦85,000 minimum wage has also been introduced for local government workers.
Capacity Building: Large-scale training programmes for finance and accounting officers, with additional sessions planned for senior and mid-level staff.
Pensioner Support: Monthly pension allocations have been raised from ₦2 billion to ₦2.6 billion, alongside timely payments and compulsory enrollment of pensioners in the state’s contributory health scheme.
Health & Insurance: Mandatory enrollment of all civil servants in the contributory health protection programme (with the government contributing 17% and staff 8%) and rollout of a Group Life Insurance policy to protect families of deceased workers.
Media Revitalisation: Comprehensive overhaul of state-owned media houses — Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation (RSBC), Rivers State Television (RSTV), and The Newspaper Corporation — through renovations, modern equipment, and modernisation efforts.
Ibas reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and excellence in governance, noting that reforms were designed to professionalise the civil service and improve public service delivery.
Also speaking, the Acting Head of Service, Dr. Inyingi Brown, unveiled the new Rivers State Civil Service Handbook and the maiden edition of The Bureaucrat magazine.
She also introduced a new pledge, vision, and mission statement for the service, emphasising the role of technology in building a more responsive, efficient, and future-ready workforce.
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