'I will not reduce minimum wage', Governor tells civil servants

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December 25, 2015 2:52 PM

The Governor made it known that the state was yet to receive its monthly allocation from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) and this is why the December salaries of civil servants have not been paid.

Seriake Dickson

The Executive Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson has restated his commitment to the welfare of civil servants, while assuring also that he would not subscribe to any move for the downward review of the current minimum wage, despite the financial hardship facing the state rather, he would do everything within his reach to create a more enabling environment for them to discharge their duties effectively.

In his conversation with newsmen in Yenagoa, the State capital, Dickson emphasized his commitment to the training and re-training of public servants in 2016 to promote human capacity building, which is one of the cardinal points of his administration.

Read: 'Stop deceiving people on financial status' APC tells Fayose

He also made it known that the government was working round the clock to ensure the payment on or before next week by exploring other means, adding that he has directed the state financial team to liaise with financial institutions to effect payment of workers and pensioners.

Governor Dickson made a clarion call to workers to show more understanding as the present economic situation was not peculiar to Bayelsa State only, he nevertheless assured that the government would not renege on its promise of making the state civil service one of the best in the country.

In his words, “Civil servants are important to us so we will do more about their training and welfare. I think we will meet with them more regularly next year because they need to show more understanding as we move forward.

“Bayelsa is committed to the minimum wage. I don’t believe in reducing the minimum wage at all. I’m rather even in support of doing more things to make living better for civil servants, after all, they are our brothers and sisters.

Read: APC lambastes governor Seriake Dickson for victimising civil servants

“I have always told civil servants that they are the landlords while I am the tenant. Now my tenancy has been renewed for another four more years. We are just waiting for the lease to be signed, sealed and delivered by INEC on the 9th of January, 2016.

“So what I will be telling them is to get ready so that we can partner and work together to build a better Bayelsa. Not a Bayelsa of needless rumours and antagonism and acrimony, but a Bayelsa where people show understanding. For example, the economic outlook of the year 2016, is not very bright at the national level; these are issues that people must come to terms with. So don’t allow politicians and other detractors use you in the civil service.”

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