The Rivers State Government has launched a new round of biometric verification for workers across all 23 local government areas, marking another effort to sanitise the public payroll following the exit of former Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.).
Ibas had spearheaded an earlier verification drive aimed at identifying ghost workers within both the state and local government workforce—an exercise he claimed saved the state about ₦5 billion. But questions lingered over whether that process at the council level was fully concluded before his departure on September 18, 2025, shortly after President Bola Tinubu lifted the emergency rule in the state.
The latest verification was formally kick-started in Emuoha Local Government Area, where the Chairman of the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission, Israel Amadi, declared the exercise open.
Amadi explained that the renewed audit was essential to cleaning up the payroll, ensuring that only legitimately employed staff remained on the government’s books, and restoring confidence in the staffing records of the LGAs.
Prior to the flag-off, Amadi, accompanied by Emuoha LGA Chairman Dr. Chidi Lloyd, inspected a number of development projects within the council secretariat. He commended Lloyd for what he described as impressive infrastructural improvements, saying the projects underscored a commitment to transparent and responsible local governance.
“We’ve just come from Ahoada West where we were impressed with what we saw, but what is being done here in Emuoha is equally remarkable,” Amadi remarked. “This is the kind of development we want to see replicated across the state.”
He cautioned against efforts to insert unapproved names into the LGA payrolls, warning that the commission would take disciplinary action against individuals involved in illegal staffing practices, absenteeism, or holding multiple government jobs.
“When you insist on due process, you’re bound to offend some people,” he said. “Those who benefit from irregularities will always resist reforms. But we must do the right thing—properly and consistently—so others can follow the example.”
Speaking during the ceremony, Dr. Lloyd assured the commission that adequate security had been put in place to protect personnel and ensure the verification process proceeds without disruption. He reiterated that the exercise was not designed to witch-hunt anyone but to restore order and accountability within the council workforce.
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He urged all legitimately employed staff to make themselves available for screening and present the necessary documents, stressing that the verification was a corrective measure aimed at strengthening the integrity of the system rather than targeting individuals.
“This process is about cleansing the payroll and improving how the local government operates,” Lloyd said. “Every genuine worker will have an opportunity to be verified.”
