In Buhari’s 36 Days, Boko Haram Kills 406 Nigerians

Rivers  State  Governor,  Nyesom Wike, has declared that  his administration  would  work towards paying off all salary arrears owed by the  immediate  past  administration  in  the  state led by Rotimi Amaechi.

He also assured civil servants that his administration would not victimise any of them on account of their political inclinations, but added that they should desist from playing partisan politics.

Addressing civil servants yesterday at the state secretariat, Port Harcourt,  during his maiden meeting with civil servants, Wike said his administration would be workers-friendly.

He said never in the history of the state had civil servants salaries been owed, pointing out that he would take proactive measures to ensure that the state will never descend to such unacceptable level.

His words: “I want to assure you that we will pay you your salaries.  We cannot embark on project execution without first paying your salaries.

“The immediate past administration owed salaries because of misplaced priorities. For this administration, staff welfare will be given top priority.”

He regretted that the civil servants and their unions kept quiet while the former administration led by Rotimi Amaechi relegated staff welfare to the background.

On the poor condition of  the  state secretariat,  Wike  assured  the  workers  that  his administration  would  improve on facilities  at the  state  Secretariat  for greater  productivity  of the  workers.
The governor,  however,  charged  the state’s  Head of Service,  Mr. Samuel Long-John, to take remedial  measures to improve  the  state secretariat, pending  the  full scale  rehabilitation.

He also directed the Permanent  Secretary,  Ministry of Sports  to ensure that sportsmen and women  playing  for Sharks,  Dolphin  and Rivers  Angels Football  Clubs get their eight months  salaries  today.
Earlier, the  Head of  Service,  Mr. Samuel Long-John, assured  the governor  that  the  civil  servants  would support  his administration  in the  quest  to  transform  the  state.

Meanwhile, the state Ministry of Housing has said it will soon begin to recover all government residential and office houses which are illegally occupied.
This was made known by the Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Emma Okah, during an unscheduled visit to the state-owned Iriebe Satellite Town, one of the many state government-owned housing estates across the state.

The commissioner, who was shocked at the level of invasion and vandalism of the entire Iriebe Satellite Town houses said: “It is inappropriate and unacceptable, for hoodlums and other persons to forcefully take over government houses and occupy such as if there were no government and laws. Regrettably they are neither paying any rent nor maintaining the houses. Worse still, they are not grateful to the state through discharge of moral basic maintenance obligations.’’

He warned all illegal occupants and holders of government owned residential houses and offices, lands allocated for such purposes and all other such spaces, to vacate, quit and or relinquish all such property to the Rivers State Ministry of Housing, without delay.
Okah also said verification and revalidation exercise on all government owned residential and office houses will soon commence, as part of preparations for the implementation of the housing policy as contained in Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike’s blueprint for the development of the state.

The commissioner assured the Rivers people that the state government ably led by Wike  will do all within its powers to address housing needs in the state and bridge the existing gap in the interest of the people.

Okah enjoined Rivers people to cooperate with his ministry and continue to support and pray for the government of Wike for the common good of all Rivers people.