The Rivers government says it prioritises workers’ welfare and human capital development to add value to life and ensure quality service delivery.

Information commissioner Joe Johnson said this in an interview in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

He said Governor Siminalayi Fubara-led government believed strongly in promoting workers’ welfare to spur productivity.

Mr Johnson said that to demonstrate the government’s interest in workers’ welfare, the governor had approved the payment of N30,000 as a wage award to local government workers.

“The governor has approved the immediate promotion of local government workers and full implementation of gratuities for grade level 17 officers in the system. In the governor’s first year in office, he implemented the promotion of all civil servants who were stagnated for several years, he also paid their financial entitlements fully,” he said.

The commissioner said Mr Fubara paid N100,000 as a Christmas bonus to civil servants in the state, saying, “This is a morale booster to the workforce.”

He said water supply had been restored at the state secretariat complex and that faulty elevators had been repaired and made functional.

Mr Johnson said the state government partnered with the Bank of Industry to disburse N4 billion seed loan to 3,066 small and medium-scale business owners in the state.

He said no fewer than 100 companies of limited status were part of the beneficiaries and that loans of between N500,000 and N10 million were given out.

“It’s a liberal loan in the sense that the interest rate is negligible,’’ he said.

Speaking on security, Johnson said the government had plans to meaningfully engage the youth by providing an environment that enabled them to do business.

“Every crime has a causative effect. We shall ensure that our youths are meaningfully engaged. It is one of the reasons for the N4 billion seed loan. An idle mind is the devil’s advocate; if we provide enough to engage them, they won’t indulge in kidnapping or robbery.

“The current government is thinking for the people, it has the interest of the people at its heart, it is taking steps to tackle the challenges of the people,” he said. 

(NAN)