Gov.Diri pledges to implement welfare for workers

By Amgbare Ekaunkumo, Yenagoa

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator  Douye Diri has promised  to implement improved welfare package for civil servants in the State.

Governor Diri made the promise while responding  to the demands of NLC presented by the Bayelsa State Chapter Chairman, Comrade Ebipre Ndiomu at the 2022  May Day Celebrations held at the Peace Park in Yenagoa.

He said his administration has made the issues affecting workers utmost priority in the face of  scarce resources at the disposal  of  government with  competing demands.

Governor Diri noted that his administration will take  deliberate steps to ensure the implementation of better  welfare package  for the Bayelsa workers to  realise the fact that workers are critical to the success of any administration, being the engine room to implementation  government policies and programmes..

Governor Douye Diri directed the Commissioner of Finance for  immediate payment  annual salary step increment; provision of funds for civil service commission to conduct the 2022 promotion exercise; implementation of 2021 promotion; payment of call duty allowances to specialist nurses approved since  2014; and addition of N200million to a monthly N200million for payment of April pensions and gratuities to reduce the backlog of unpaid retirees.

He also expressed his administration’s readiness to complete the Labour House project in Yenagoa for the state NLC and TUC and announced the transfer of the project from the Ministry of Labour and Productivity to the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure.

On the payment of minimum wage arrears to tertiary institutions, he said his office was awaiting the report of a committee chaired by the Deputy Governor for the revision and implementation of the report of the tertiary education committee earlier set up to address the issue of minimum wage.

However, on the request for funds for the local government service commission to also conduct the 2022 promotion exercise for the third-tier workers, the governor declined to make instant pronouncement but promised that “some of the demands will be looked into through extant laws and the constitution”.

He said his administration was not insensitive to the plight of local government workers, stressing that the state government would continue to support local government councils as it had been doing, with or without autonomy.

Earlier in his address, Mr John Ndiomu, State Chairman, Nigeria labour Congress expressed profound gratitude to Governor Douye Diri for granting the requests of workers in the State, saying the development will go a long way to further better their lives.

Ndiomu said the. Governor Douye Diri  express approval of the  demands of workers was an eloquent testimony of the fact  that, indeed he meant well for the workers

He lauded Governor Douye Diri for his transparent leadership style and friendly disposition particularly, commitment to the promotion of workers welfare.

Ndiomu equally commended the state government for releasing N117 million monthly to support the payment of primary school teachers in local government councils.

According to him, complete implementation of the Oracle payment system at the state level and the building of a befitting edifice for the state’s media organisations were some of the achievements that have endeared Diri to workers in the state.

Comrade Ndiomu also commended all the workers who have continued to work optimally towards the growth and development of Bayelsa State, saying” a committed Civil Service is the best medium to convey and demonstrate to the public the intentions, policies and actions of government.

Highpoint of the celebration was the pronouncement of cash award by the governor to winners of the march past.

The state chapter of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria clinched the first prize of N2million while the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives got the second prize of N1.5million and the third prize of N1 million went to the state branch of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners.