The recent criticisms by former labour leader Opuebo Lily-West regarding the ongoing verification exercise of civil servants and pensioners in Rivers State are unfounded, misleading, and fail to acknowledge the necessity of this exercise for good governance and fiscal responsibility. The criticisms are consistent with a well-established pattern of dissemination of falsehood and a clear intent to cause insurrection in the state.
Hector Igbikiowubo
Senior Special Adviser – Media in a Statement said verification is a Standard Administrative Practice.
The statement further reads:
The claim that the verification exercise is “insensitive” ignores the fact that staff and pensioner audits are routine in both public and private sectors. Such exercises help weed out ghost workers, eliminate payroll fraud, and ensure that only legitimate employees and retirees receive government funds. Rivers State, like many others, has a responsibility to ensure transparency in wage payments, especially given past reports of irregularities in payroll systems.
No Deliberate Delay in Salary Payments
Lily-West’s assertion that the exercise is timed to delay salaries is speculative. A well-structured verification process should not inherently disrupt salary payments if properly managed. The Rivers State government has assured workers that the exercise will be conducted efficiently, and there is no evidence to suggest that salaries will be unduly withheld. Rather than being an anti-worker policy, this move protects genuine workers by ensuring that resources are not diverted to non-existent personnel.
Legitimate Interest of the Administrator
The suggestion that the Administrator has no right to verify workers because “he did not employ them” is legally and administratively flawed. As the head of the state’s administration, he has both the authority and the duty to ensure that the civil service operates with integrity. The exercise is not personal but institutional, aimed at sanitizing the system for the benefit of all.
Allegations of Fraud Without Evidence
Lily-West’s claim that the verification is an attempt to “defraud the state” is baseless and contradictory. If anything, the exercise is designed to prevent fraud by identifying irregularities. Unless he can provide concrete evidence of malfeasance, such inflammatory statements only serve to incite unnecessary tension.
Workers’ Welfare vs. Accountability
While workers’ concerns about timely salaries are valid, accountability measures should not be misconstrued as an attack on labour rights. A transparent payroll system benefits everyone in the long run, including pensioners who have suffered from mismanagement in the past.
The Rivers State government’s verification exercise is a necessary step toward ensuring efficient use of public funds. Rather than condemning it outright, labour leaders should engage constructively to ensure the process is fair, swift, and devoid of victimization. False alarms and resistance to accountability only hinder progress. The government must be allowed to implement reforms that will ultimately strengthen the civil service and safeguard the state’s finances.
Workers and pensioners should cooperate with the exercise while holding the government accountable for timely salary payments—not oppose a process meant to protect their own interests.
