Despite claims, Chidi Lloyd, the Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area (LGA) in Rivers State, has denied owing any verified staff.
Lloyd’s statement on Wednesday, which was made public on the state government’s website, prompted allegations of unpaid wages among employees.
According to the council boss, his administration prioritises the timely payment of salaries to council employees.
He clarified the situation after hearing reports of a protest held in Port Harcourt on Monday by individuals who claimed to be members of the council due to non-payment of salaries.
As for those who were properly verified during the biometric verification of local government staff, Lloyd said that they are paid with a “strict amount” and all payments are made in full.
He said his administration will never again allow a non-staff member to steal public money under any pretence, saying ‘only those officially verified by the system are entitled to payment.’
He demanded that the protesters prove their status as council staff through the biometric verification process conducted by the State government under the control of a local government commission.
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Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who last year signed off on a “concrete” statewide biometric verification exercise to establish an accurate nominal roll across all 23 local government councils in the state, was also praised by Lloyd for his promotion of transparency and due process.
The exercise, he claimed, has reinforced his administration’s anti-corruption position and uncovered instances of double standards.
He mentioned that some people have approached his office to submit their resignations from the local government council to continue holding their positions in state MDAs.
He claimed that a significant number of those seeking to regularise their status were former protesters against his anti-corruption efforts. He also stated that the verification process has revealed “genuine workers” and exonerated his administration of previous charges.
Additionally, he reiterated his commitment to transparency and said he will not be deterred by protests or blackmail from those who claimed they were beneficiaries of corruption and pledged to restore transparency in the council.
According to him, unemployment has not been eliminated, and some people have illegally taken payments from various government departments using false identities, without following the necessary procedures.
According to the Chairman, the fact that there have been similar practices in previous administrations doesn’t make those who were improperly added to the council payroll qualify as legitimate employees.
He urged the public to disregard claims of unpaid wages by individuals who, according to him, should be investigated for fraudulently receiving public funds.
