Rivers state Governor Chibuike Amaechi has ordered the state Ministry of Finance to suspend all deductions from civil servants’ salary until after Christmas celebration.
The governor declared this while addressing issues of the state during a media chat with journalist in Port Harcourt saying it will help the civil servants plan for the fast approaching festival.
Amaechi explained that the deductions were meant for the essence of the Social Service Levy is to fund the free health care and education programmes of the State Government aimed at assisting the poor in society, the State Chief Executive explained.
Mr. Amaechi said government will resume deduction back by February of 2013 after which the accrued charges will be worked into subsequent deductions.
The governor declared that the state is still committed to its earlier promise of stable power supply by December this year.
He also announced that the new secondary school in Eleme would commence academic activities next session with 700 children while 13,000 teachers would be recruited for the new model schools, adding that those to be recruited would be retrained for six months to adequately prepare them for the task ahead.
Earlier, the Head of Service, Barister Samuel Long John said, the Civil Service, which is the engine room of government, would strive to perform optimally to ensure that the objectives of government were achieved.