The Bayelsa State government has approved the payment of wage awards to civil servants in its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as part of measures to cushion the effects of the excruciating economic realities.
The Deputy Governor of the state, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, disclosed this yesterday when the leadership of the South-South Zone of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) led by its Chairman, Bolum Martin and Vice Chairman, Julius Laye, paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Yenagoa.
A statement by the media aide to the deputy governor, Doubara Atasi, explained that the wage award, which was approved by Governor Douye Diri, is in line with the Federal Government’s appeal to the states to utilise funds from oil subsidy removal to ameliorate the economic hardship facing workers.
According to the statement, Ewhrudjakpo had directed the Head of the State Civil Service, Mrs. Biobelemoye Charles-Onyeama, to work out modalities for the payment of the N35,000 wage awards to all civil servants on the state government payroll.
Describing the civil service as the engine room for the implementation of government’s programmes and policies, the deputy governor gave assurance that the current administration in Bayelsa would continue to take the welfare of civil servants seriously.
He told the TUC that the government would support and encourage them where necessary to meet their goals and promote healthy industrial relations in the state, South South region and the country at large.
Ewhrudjakpo, however, urged the two major labour centres in the country, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the TUC to always work together in the interest of workers and the entire citizens of the country.
His words: “The effectiveness of any government is the civil service. And so, anybody who disorganises, disregards, undermines and fails to recognise the civil service is only doing so to promote his or her own intention to fail in government or governance.
“Civil servants are the people that implement the programmes and policies of government. In fact, they run with the vision of government. That is why we take our civil service very seriously here.
“And our civil servants are also very supportive. They have always supported us as a government. So, we don’t joke with matters affecting them. As we speak, we do not owe our workers.
“Like the wage award you mentioned, I want you to know that the governor has already approved it for civil servants in the state. Soon after this meeting, the Head of Service will get the approval and start working on it.”
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of TUC, South South zone, Bolum Martin, acknowledged the labour friendly disposition of the Diri-led administration, noting that Bayelsa is among the few states that had extended the payment of the 30 per cent minimum wage to local council workers.
Martin, who is also the state Chairman of TUC in Delta State, also lauded the state government for taking the lead in paying call duty allowance to health personnel, wage awards to local council workers and for creating a conducive work environment.
He informed that the TUC chairmen and secretaries of the South South states were in Bayelsa for their zonal meeting ahead of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting next month.