The Rivers State Local Government Service Commission has dismissed reports that it sacked 21,000 local government workers across the state’s 23 local government areas.
In a statement signed by Favour Azubuike, Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Chairman of the Commission, the agency described the report as false, misleading and a distortion of facts.
The commission explained that the biometric verification exercise, which commenced in October 2025, was designed to update and clean up staff records, eliminate ghost workers and duplicate entries, and tackle concerns over inflated wage bills and irregular employment.
According to the commission, the exercise was conducted with the participation and monitoring of representatives from the Office of the Head of Service, Office of the Accountant General, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees and the Local Government Service Commission.
It also rejected allegations that the biometric exercise was politically motivated or intended to generate funds for the 2027 general elections.
The commission assured genuine local government workers that none had been dismissed or deprived of their legitimate rights and privileges.
