The government of Bayelsa State has approved the payment of N35,000 as wage awards to civil servants in the state as a measure to cushion the effects of the high cost of living.
The Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, made this known on Friday when the leadership of the South-South zone of the Trade Union Congress led by its chairman, Comrade Bolum Martin and vice chairman, Comrade Julius Laye, paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Yenagoa.
In a statement made available by the media aide to the deputy governor, Doubara Atasi, he explained that the wage award which was approved by Governor Douye Diri was in line with the federal government’s appeal to the states to utilize funds from oil subsidy removal to ameliorate the economic hardship facing workers.
Ewhrudjakpo has 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’s payroll, according to The Nation.
Describing the civil service as the engine room for the implementation of the government’s programmes and policies, the deputy governor promised that the present administration in Bayelsa would continue to take the welfare of civil servants seriously.
He said: “The effectiveness of any government is the civil service. And so, anybody who disorganizes, disregards, undermines, and fails to recognize the civil service, that person 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 the 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 are not owing our workers.
“Like the wage award you mentioned, I want you to know that the Governor has already approved the wage awards for civil servants in the state. Soon after this meeting, the Head of Service will get the approval and start working on it.”
