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Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike announced on Thursday 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.
He made the announcement while speaking at the Government House, Port Harcourt, when the governing council of the Rivers State Science and Technology visited him.
He also stated that that only civil servants with confirmed Bank Verification Numbers(BVN) will henceforth receive salaries in the state.
According to him, the monthly wage bill of the state government stood at N7 billion while monthly pension bill stood at N1.4 billion.
A statement by his spokesman, Simeon Nwakaudu quoted the governor as saying:
“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.”
Governor Wike also approved the setting up of a College of Medicine and a Teaching Hospital at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology.