By Okezie Amadi
For too long, governance in Nigeria has been undermined not only by political instability but by the slow erosion of trust in public institutions. Bureaucracy became a symbol of inefficiency, not accountability. Civil servants, once regarded as the vital backbone of administration, were gradually relegated to symbols of a decaying system. In Rivers State, the story was no different. But today, under the emergency governance of Sole Administrator Ibok-Ette Ibas, that narrative is beginning to shift in a way few thought possible.
One of the least discussed but most powerful aspects of the state’s recovery has been the deliberate effort to restore the credibility and functionality of the civil service. This is not happening with dramatic announcements or media fanfare. It is taking place quietly, in office corridors, in local government secretariats, and in service centres where public interaction defines the people’s perception of government.
The first signal of change came when salaries and entitlements that had been delayed for months were paid promptly and consistently. It may seem basic, but for a civil servant who has endured prolonged financial uncertainty, regular income is not just a payment. It is a psychological restoration of worth and dignity. Salary payments were not only made on time but were backed with transparent communication from payroll departments now operating with better coordination and accountability.
Reforms in the payroll system were among the earliest steps taken. Ghost workers were weeded out, and double-dipping pensioners were identified and removed. This process required both digital verification and physical authentication, a dual strategy that helped strike a balance between accuracy and fairness. In the past, such exercises were fraught with allegations of witch-hunting or ethnic bias. But under the current leadership, the process has been guided by fairness and objectivity. The message from the top has been clear: legitimacy begins with transparency.
Just as crucial has been the reorientation of civil servants themselves. For years, morale in the public service was abysmally low. Promotion pathways were unclear. Performance metrics were non-existent. Work ethics had dwindled. Civil servants clocked in late, left early, and often viewed their roles as temporary means of survival rather than as custodians of public trust. But that attitude is slowly changing. With consistent leadership and renewed expectations, a culture of accountability is returning.
Departmental heads have been reactivated. They now hold regular evaluation sessions and submit monthly reports, which are actually reviewed, not shelved. Attendance logs are monitored. Disciplinary mechanisms are being used not as instruments of punishment but as means of correcting poor habits. The public service in Rivers is rediscovering a lost sense of purpose.
What is perhaps even more impactful is the effort to invest in capacity building. Recognising that knowledge gaps often lead to inefficiency, the administration has initiated professional development sessions across several ministries and local government departments. These workshops cover everything from file management and digital literacy to leadership, procurement compliance, and conflict resolution in civil spaces. These are not generic lectures but tailored modules designed to meet the specific needs of various arms of the service.
The attitude from top officials has also shifted. Rather than seeing junior staff as dispensable, they are being viewed as contributors to policy outcomes. This change in mindset, though intangible, is monumental. In any governance structure, how leaders treat their workforce becomes a direct reflection of how the public is treated. And in Rivers today, there is a new effort to treat everyone with fairness, respect, and empathy.
Citizens are beginning to notice the change. At registration offices, queues move faster. At health centres, attendance is more regular. Local government secretariats, once described as ghost towns, now open on time. Even in public complaints units, feedback is now met with courtesy and commitment rather than with indifference. The culture of responsiveness is being restored.
The improvement in civil service is not without its challenges. Decades of dysfunction cannot be overturned in three months. There are still pockets of resistance. Some employees remain entrenched in the old ways. But the strength of this reform is in its structure, not its speed. Rather than focusing on quick wins, the Ibas administration has invested in creating a culture that can be sustained regardless of who holds office next.
Perhaps most significantly, there is now an emphasis on service delivery over political messaging. The Sole Administrator has kept a low profile not because he lacks what to say, but because he understands that credibility in governance is earned, not advertised. His style has allowed civil servants to reclaim their space as professionals, not political pawns.
Leadership, especially in emergency governance, is often about triage. What do you fix first? Where do you apply pressure? What battles do you fight? For Ibok-Ette Ibas, the decision to fix the internal machinery of government before launching loud external programmes is a masterstroke. He is building the capacity of government to govern—and in doing so, rebuilding the social contract between the state and its people.
In a time when the legitimacy of government is constantly questioned, especially under the current political dynamics, the best answer is performance. Not just in bridges built or roads tarred, but in the tone and texture of the institutions that people interact with every day. When a widow can walk into a local government pension office and receive fair, prompt service, governance becomes real again.
Rivers State is far from perfect. The state still grapples with unemployment, infrastructure deficits, and political intrigue. But a functioning and responsive civil service is one of the strongest signs that the foundation for better governance is being laid. If sustained, this quiet reform of public institutions could outlast the emergency period and set a template for other states.
In the end, citizens do not demand perfection from their leaders. They seek honesty, predictability, and basic functionality. When government offices open on time, when salaries are paid without protest, and when civil servants act with a sense of mission, public trust grows naturally. It is this trust that Rivers State is slowly earning back—and it is happening not through propaganda, but through practice.
Okezie Amadi writes from Port-harcourt