‘Rivers Govt Not Broke’ …Finance Commissioner blames Salary Delay On Banks …Amaechi To Commission 150 Projects In 150 Days Soon

Executive Director, Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA), Mr Noble Pepple (left) presenting a Memorandum of Understanding to the Vice Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt, Prof Joseph Ajieneka, after signing, yesterday.

The Rivers State Government has strongly denied the allegations being peddled in some quarters that it is broke and unable to pay July, 2013 salaries of civil servants in the state, due to financial difficulties.
In a statement made available to The Tide, yesterday in Port Harcourt, the state Commissioner for Finance, Dr Chamberlain Peterside, said: “Nothing can be farther from the truth, as the delay experienced in the payment of last month’s salary is due mainly to the recent migration from the old 13 digit account numbers to the 10 digit New Unified Bank Account Numbers (NUBAN)”.
Peterside regretted that, “the numbers were not furnished on time by the banks to the Rivers State Ministry of Finance in order to be captured by the Rivers State Government Automated Payroll Office.”
The Commissioner said, “the truth is that over 35,000 workers have been paid their July, 2013 salaries,” adding that, “effort is ongoing to complete inputting the new 10 digit account numbers in order for salaries of the remaining staff to be paid before the end of the current week.
“Government regrets the inconveniences caused its workers by the unavoidable delay in salary due to the reasons already given,” Peterside said, assuring that, “henceforth, with the new account numbers, salaries will be paid in a timely manner as usual.
“It is irresponsible and repugnant for any person or group of persons to attribute this delay to any financial crises being experienced by the Rivers State Government. For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state that the finances of the state government under the leadership of His Excellency, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, continues to be robust and administered in a prudent, accountable and transparent manner,” he stressed.
According to him, the state “internally generated revenue profile is growing; hence the numerous infrastructural projects and social programmes of the state continue to be funded in a timely manner.”
It would be recalled that some critics, especially a faction of the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Felix Obuah had alleged that the delay in the payment of some civil servants was as a result of the government inability to raise sufficient money to pay its workers.
But the Rivers State Government, said yesterday that the rumours being peddled by the Felix Obuah-led faction that it is unable to pay July, 2013 salaries of civil servants is false, and described the faction as a bunch of serial liars, who have consistently sacrificed the truth in order to score cheap political points.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Rivers State Governor, David Iyofor, admonished the Obuah group, its backers and sponsors to desist from misinforming and misleading the public as the Governor Amaechi-led administration remains committed to the welfare of workers.
“It is amazing how low these people (Obuah group) can go in the name of playing politics. You can’t stand truth on its head because you want to fish for a reason to abuse and attack Governor Amaechi. Felix Obuah and his co-travellers should stop playing politics with the lives of Rivers people,” the statement said.
“They claim Governor Amaechi could not pay workers’ salaries but even before they started peddling their wicked lies, civil servants’ salaries in the state were being paid and the payment is on-going. This can be easily verified both from the banks and civil servants; and the state leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), the two umbrella unions of the workers.
“As the banks furnish the state Ministry of Finance with the new 10-digit New Unified Bank Account Numbers (NUBAN) from the old 13-digit Account Numbers, payments are being made. Anybody that does transaction with any bank is aware of the recent migration by banks from the old 13 digit Account Numbers to the 10 digit new Unified (NUBAN) Account Numbers.”
“Indeed, Obuah and his fellow co-travellers deserve our pity and sympathy as they seem to suffer from a chronic case of selective amnesia, otherwise, they would have known that Governor Amaechi does not joke or play politics with the welfare of workers. And that is why Rivers State today pays N22, 000.00 minimum wage, which is more than the national/federal minimum wage of N18,000.00. It is on record that presently, the Amaechi administration pays one of the highest civil service salary scale in the country, and with absolutely no backlog of unpaid salaries. And just in case Obuah and his group do not know, that is what is called commitment to workers’ welfare. This again, is something Obuah and his group can easily verify,” it indicated.
“The Rivers State Government finances under the leadership of His Excellency, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, continue to be robust and administered in a prudent, accountable and transparent manner as can be witnessed by the growing internally generated revenue profile and timely funding of workers’ salaries and welfare-related expenditures, numerous infrastructural projects and social programmes in the state. It is, therefore, grossly misleading, irresponsible and repugnant for Felix Obuah and his co-travellers to say otherwise”, the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, the current political distractions will not deter Rivers State Government from going ahead to commence new projects commissioning tagged, “150 Projects in 150 Days”, Chief of Staff, Government House, Sir Tony Okocha, has said.
Okocha said this Monday, when Chairman and members of Ekinigbo Council of Chiefs in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state paid him a courtesy visit in Port Harcourt.
He said, “we will refuse to be deterred. The state Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi, has refused to lose focus because of what is going on. His mission is to better the lives of our people. His vision is to put smiles on the faces of our people. His vision is to develop our people rapidly in a manner that nobody else would have done in the state. That is his mission, and we are still hell-bent on it. Before the end of this month, we will be on the streets commissioning projects so that Nigerians will know that Amaechi is one governor to reckon with.”
Okocha said that the current provocations against Rivers State Governor and Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), Chibuike Amaechi, by the opposition will not shift the governor’s focus from development and delivering on the dividends of democracy to Rivers people.
Okocha said Governor Amaechi would remain focused to pursue his development agenda for the people of the state.
“I’m aware of the fervent prayers of the chiefs concerning the ‘madness’ of disgruntled elements of Rivers State, who like Prof. Tam David-West would say, would have refused to see the good works of His Excellency, the governor and his administration, and for whom Prof. Tam David-West referred to as ‘blinder than the bat’,” he said.
He said the antics of the opposition would fail, and lamented their unsuccessful gang-up against the governor for personal interests.
Okocha thanked the chiefs for their support and prayers for the Amaechi-led administration, noting that Governor Amaechi has the people’s mandate to protect the lives and property of all Rivers people.
The chief of staff, however, expressed disappointment that the governor was being given a bad name for taking steps against the attempted ceding of oil wells in the state to other neighbouring states.
He said the attempt to cede oil wells in the state to other neighbouring states was plotted to stifle Amaechi’s development effort in the state.
On the recent threat by the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, to make Rivers State ungovernable, Okocha expressed sadness over the failure of the police to invite Wike for questioning over his threat.
He bemoaned the latest cases of kidnapping and armed robbery in the state, which he explained, resurfaced because the police have compromised the security of the state.
The Chief of Staff described the Minister of State for Education as ungrateful to Governor Amaechi who brought him to limelight, and blamed Wike for failing to protect the interests of the state.
Okocha recalled that Amaechi appointed Wike as his Chief of Staff, and later nominated him for ministerial appointment into President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet.
Earlier, Chairman of Ekinigbo Council of Chiefs, Chief Kinikanwo Owhonda, had assured Okocha of their unflinching support for Governor Amaechi, and congratulated him on his appointment as Chief of Staff.
“We, the entire good people of Ekinigbo clan express gladness for your meritorious appointment, and we pledge our unalloyed support to the government of Rivers State. We are unequivocally behind you and the Government of Rivers State under Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi despite all the challenges”, they said.