The Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area, Sir Chidi Lloyd, has dismissed claims that individuals who failed the council’s biometric verification exercise were later reinstated as staff by the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
The statement, signed by Bright Jossy-Elendu, Executive Assistant and Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, was issued on Tuesday.
Lloyd challenged those making the allegation to provide documentary evidence, stressing that genuine employees of the council are not owed salaries.
He maintained that those protesting over unpaid wages were never legitimate council staff but had been illegally added to the payroll without following civil service employment procedures. He described the alleged reinstatement by the governor as “laughable,” noting that the protesters had failed to substantiate their claims.
Reiterating his administration’s resolve to end irregularities in the council’s voucher system, Lloyd advised any verified staff claiming denial of salaries to submit a formal written complaint with supporting documents for review, rather than resorting to protests or what he termed “cheap blackmail.”
