The Rivers State Government has dispelled rumours being peddled by the Felix Obuah-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) that it is unable to pay July, 2013 salary of civil servants in the state and described the faction members as serial liars who have consistently sacrificed the truth on the alter of scoring 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 Amaechi administration remains committed to the welfare of workers in the State
“It’s 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.
“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 Nigerian 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 digits United (NUBAN) Account Numbers 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 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’s why Rivers State today pays N22,000 minimum wage which is more than the national/federal minimum wage of N18,000.
“It is on record that presently, the Amaechi administration pays one of the highest civil service salaries 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 call commitment to workers’ welfare. This again, is something Obuah and his group can easily verify.
“The Rivers State government’s finances under the leadership of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi continues 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.”
