Bayelsa State Governor Orders Payment Of Council Workers’ Salaries

The governor of Bayelsa State Seriake Dickson has ordered the payment of salaries of workers in the Local Government Service, starting with the June, 2015. To this end, Dickson has directed relevant officials of the State Government to work with the chairmen of local government councils by way of rendering the needed assistance to facilitate the prompt payment of salaries of the workers in the third tier of government. A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, on Thursday, said even though the payment of salaries at that level of government was
purely the responsibility of the LGAs, the government had decided to intervene.Dickson said the state government’s intervention was to ameliorate the plight of the council workers, adding that steps ere already being taken to ensure the payment of the outstanding arrears of the salaries, within the shortest time possible. He advised all LG staff to exercise restraint, as every necessary step would be taken to ensure that all arrears of their salaries were paid.The governor also expressed satisfaction with the LG workers’ sense of maturity and understanding, despite the difficult times they had been going through. Workers in the local councils were being owed salaries ranging from two to six months. The state House of Assembly, worried by the development, last week summoned all the eight council bosses to explain the reasons they could not meet their financial obligations to their workers.The Bayelsa populace is still awaiting the verdict of the Assembly men.