Fubara Speaks on Rivers LG Workers’ Audit, Dismisses Targeted Bias Claims
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has defended his administration’s implementation of the staff payroll verification exercise across the state’s 23 Local Government Areas, clarifying that the move is strictly aimed at eliminating ghost workers and ensuring fiscal discipline.
Speaking on Monday during the commissioning of the 8.6-kilometre Omademe Internal Roads Project in Ikwerre Local Government Area, Governor Fubara urged critics to stop viewing the exercise through a political lens.
“It doesn’t matter whether the people are my supporters or from the other side,” Fubara stated, adding that his background as a former Treasury Officer informed his deployment of ICT personnel to support the verification panel. “There is no other side. We are all Rivers people. I want to ensure the right thing is done.”
While emphasizing that he is not opposed to legitimate recruitment, the governor insisted that all employment into the local government service must follow due process. “I approved the implementation of that recommendation and I stand by it,” he declared.
Addressing political leaders in the state, Fubara called for unity and consolidation of peace, stating that his focus remains on the future rather than past political rivalries.
The newly commissioned Omademe project features 10 internal roads equipped with an asphaltic layer, 8.7 kilometres of concrete side drains, and a 3-kilometre outfall discharge system to prevent flooding. Works Commissioner, Prof. Temple Nwofor, noted that the contract was awarded to Setraco Construction Limited in February 2024, with construction commencing in November 2024.
Ikwerre Local Government Chairman, Hon. Charles Wobodo, commended the governor for the project while appealing for further expansion of the local road network. Fubara reassured residents that his administration would continue prioritizing rural development and economic connectivity until its final day in office.
