Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, has authorized the immediate disbursement of salaries for all state civil servants, suspended appointees of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and pensioners for March 2025.
The move follows a 24-hour ultimatum issued by the Rivers State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), which threatened protests if salaries for local government workers, overdue since February 2025, were not paid by month’s end.
In a statement released on Friday, the Sole Administrator instructed the State Accountant-General to ensure the swift processing of these payments. The approval also covers workers in the state’s local government areas, who have faced delays in receiving their salaries.
The statement read: “In line with our commitment to the people of Rivers State, I am pleased to announce that the Sole Administrator has approved the payment of salaries for all civil servants in the Rivers State Civil Service, all public servants, pensioners, and suspended political appointees for March 2025.”
This move comes amid heightened political tensions in the state, with the NLC also calling for the implementation of the minimum wage for local government workers, who have been heavily impacted by the ongoing political crisis.
The decision is seen as a crucial step in alleviating labor unrest and addressing the concerns of public sector employees.
