Ibas approves March salaries for Rivers civil servants, suspended appointees

Ibok-Ete Ibas, the sole administrator of Rivers, has approved the payment of March salaries for all civil servants and public employees in the state.

A letter signed by Ibibia Worika, secretary to the state government (SSG), dated March 28, said that the payment includes pensioners and suspended political appointees.

“In keeping with the undertaking made to the good people of Rivers State, I am pleased to inform you that the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (RTD) Ibok Ete Ekwe Ibas CFR, has approved the payment of salaries for all civil servants in the Rivers State Civil Service and all public servants of the Rivers State Government,” the letter reads.

“This approval includes pensioners and all suspended political appointees, ensuring they receive their salaries for the month of March, 2025.

“The Administrator has further directed the Accountant-General to ensure that payment for salaries in March 2025 is remitted, without any delay.”

On Wednesday, the Rivers sole administrator suspended all political officeholders in the state, and asked them to hand over to the permanent secretary and where there is no permanent secretary, the most senior director should take charge.

BACKGROUND

Early this month, the supreme court affirmed the judgment of a federal high court that barred the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the accountant-general of the federation from releasing statutory monthly allocations to Rivers state.

The federal high court had stopped the release of funds to Rivers after Siminalayi Fubara, the suspended governor of the state, failed to re-present the 2024 appropriation bill before the Martins Amaewhule-led assembly.

A prolonged political crisis in Rivers took a new turn early this month when President Bola Tinubu declared emergency rule in the state.

The president also suspended Fubara, Ngozi Odu, his deputy, and members of the state assembly.

Tinubu nominated Ibas, a retired vice-admiral, to administer the state.

Subsequently, the senate and the house of representatives controversially approved Tinubu’s request for an emergency rule in Rivers state.

Lateef Fagbemi, the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice, had said the funds would be released if the sole administrator made a request.

On March 21, Ibas said the withheld federation account allocation committee (FAAC) funds have been released to the state.