Rivers Sole Administrator, Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd) has announced that he has saved ₦5 billion from the state’s August salary bill.
Speaking on Tuesday during the grand finale of the 2025 Civil Service Week Celebration at the Dr. Obi Wali International Conference Centre in Port Harcourt, Ibas explained that the decision to initiate a comprehensive staff verification exercise facilitated the savings.
According to him, the verification successfully identified and removed non-existent staff and impostors from the government payroll.
The sole administrator declared that the recovered funds would be immediately channelled into critical developmental projects and programmes designed for the direct benefit of the people of Rivers State.
Ibas said, “This verification exercise has enabled us to distinguish genuine staff from impostors on the payroll. The ₦5bn saved is not just a figure; it is a testament to our commitment to fiscal responsibility.
“These funds will now be strategically invested in critical infrastructure and social projects to accelerate the sustainable development of Rivers State.”
A statement signed by the Senior Special Adviser, Media, Rivers State Government, Hector Igbikiowubo, said the event, titled “Five Years to 2030: Accelerating Public Service Delivery for a Sustainable Future,” served as a platform to honour the state’s civil servants, whom the Administrator described as “the backbone of this administration and our unsung heroes.”
Ibas outlined a bold vision for a revitalised civil service, announcing a series of transformative reforms already underway:
He named the reforms as enhanced welfare, including an upward review of salaries and allowances for Heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to bridge the wage gap with political office holders, adding that a new ₦85,000 minimum wage had been implemented at the local government level.