Rivers civil servants stage protest against last-minute verification exercise

Port Harcourt, Rivers – Hundreds of civil servants in Rivers State took to the streets over the weekend, protesting a mandatory biometric staff verification exercise imposed by the state's Sole Administrator just days before the scheduled expiration of the ongoing state of emergency.

The demonstration, which unfolded at key venues in Port Harcourt including the Alfred Diete Spiff Civic Centre and the Sharks Stadium, highlighted growing frustrations among workers over what they described as poor coordination, undue hardship, and potential delays in salary payments.

The protest erupted on Friday, September 12, as heavy rains soaked frustrated employees who were denied entry into verification centers despite arriving early.

A viral video captured workers huddling under makeshift shelters, voicing their grievances against Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd.), the Sole Administrator appointed following President Bola Tinubu's declaration of emergency rule in March 2025.

"This exercise is stressing us unnecessarily, and we just want the emergency rule to end so we can get back to normal," one drenched civil servant lamented in the footage, echoing sentiments shared widely on social media.

Organized under the auspices of the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) and local government workers' groups, the protesters decried the timing of the verification, which began in July 2025 and was extended to local government staff with a deadline of September 4—now seemingly prolonged into mid-September.

Demonstrators carried placards reading "End Poorly Coordinated Verification Now," "No More Hardship for Workers," and "Lift Emergency Rule Immediately," as they marched toward government buildings in the state capital. The action disrupted operations at the Civic Centre, where long queues had formed, forcing many to wait in the downpour without shelter or clear guidance.

The verification exercise, aimed at flushing out ghost workers and updating payroll records, has already yielded significant results.

Official figures released earlier revealed that only 37,703 civil servants and 19,186 pensioners were confirmed as genuine, down from over 43,000 and 25,500 respectively—a reduction attributed to the removal of non-existent staff and impostors.

On September 9, during the grand finale of the 2025 Civil Service Week at the Obi Wali International Conference Centre, Ibas announced savings of N5 billion from the August salary fund due to these efforts, praising the exercise for streamlining the workforce.

However, this disclosure only fueled outrage, with workers accusing the administration of prioritizing cost-cutting over their immediate welfare, especially as many remain unpaid pending completion of the process.

NCSU Chairman Chukwuka Osumah, who has led similar actions earlier this year—including a boycott of May Day celebrations in April to protest the emergency rule—condemned the exercise as "insensitive and punitive."

In a statement, Osumah linked the unrest to broader grievances against the emergency regime, which suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and dissolved the state assembly amid a political crisis.

"Workers are tired of this undemocratic setup. The verification is a ploy to further burden us as the emergency nears its end," he said, urging the federal government to expedite the transition back to elected governance.

Labour leaders from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) echoed these calls, threatening escalated "strategic union actions" if the verification disrupts September salaries.

The state government, through Acting Head of Service Dr. Inyingi Brown, defended the initiative as essential for fiscal responsibility, noting it builds on a 2018 biometric screening and addresses outdated records.

Brown assured that the exercise would not delay payments and emphasized collaboration with unions to ease the process.

Ibas, in his address, reiterated his commitment to protecting civil liberties while restoring order in the oil-rich state, warning against pipeline vandalism and promising a smooth handover post-emergency.

The emergency rule, imposed on March 19, 2025, in response to escalating political tensions between Fubara and allies of former Governor Nyesom Wike, is set to expire imminently, with no official extension announced.

Protests like this one underscore the deepening socio-economic strains in Rivers, once a bastion of stability as Nigeria's oil and gas hub.

As sensitization campaigns continue via the Rivers State Public Service Management Information System (RivPuSMiS), authorities have appealed for calm, promising temporary relief measures for affected workers.

With the rainy season intensifying and economic pressures mounting, the weekend's events signal heightened tensions as Rivers State braces for a potential return to normalcy—or further unrest.