The Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike has ordered the non-payment of salaries of civil servants without confirmed Bank Verification Numbers in order to determine the actual number of staff employed by the state.
Speaking at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Thursday, when the governing council of the Rivers State Science and Technology visited him, Mr. Wike said the monthly wage bill of the state government stood at N7 billion while monthly pension bill stood at N1.4 billion.
“This month, if you don’t submit your BVN and physically identify yourself, you will not be paid. If only 20 staff have their BVN verified physically, they will be the only staff to be paid,” the governor said, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Simeon Nwakaudu.
“With a wage and pension bill of N8.4billion monthly, the State Government is determined to stop all wastages.”
Mr. Wike also announced that the state government would no longer pay the salaries of primary and secondary school teachers of Demonstration Schools of the state university, RSUST, and other designated tertiary institutions where pupils and students pay school fees.
He said the state government had completed the payment of salary arrears of recalled lecturers sacked by the immediate past administration.
Also, Governor Wike approved the setting up of a College of Medicine and a Teaching Hospital at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology.
He said the government would support the establishment of the College of Medicine and Teaching Hospital for the RSUST as part of the pledge he made to the people of the state.