BAYELSA GOVT PLANS TO RIGHT-SIZE LG WORKFORCE FOR GREATER PRODUCTIVITY

06/09/2012 BAYELSA GOVT PLANS TO RIGHT-SIZE LG WORKFORCE FOR GREATER PRODUCTIVITY 
 Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Gboribiogha John Jonah, has re-affirmed government’s resolve to right-size the staff strength of local government councils for effective service delivery. Retired Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah stated this at a meeting with chairmen of Local Government Verification teams and the State Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, who doubles as Chairman of Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area, Chief Ebikitin Diongoli at Government House, Yenagoa. 

The Deputy Governor who observed that most of the councils can operate with less than half of their present workforce, stressed that steps will be taken to reposition the councils and make them more accountable to the people. Retired Rear Admiral John Jonah however assured that Government will provide an alternative means of livelihood for those that will be affected by the planned exercise. He expressed government’s desire to bequeath a Local Government System that is institutionalized and devoid of all forms of sharp practices as well as deliver the dividends of democracy to the rural populace. 

The Deputy  Governor however blamed the laxity at the Local Government Councils on nonchalant disposition of previous Local Government Service Commissions. The Deputy Governor also described as unacceptable the situation whereby chairmen of councils borrow money to augment their over bloated wage bills and other expenditure. In their separate presentations, Chairmen of the verification teams for Brass, Yenagoa, Ogbia, Kolokuma/Opokuma and Sagbama councils suggested a drastic re-organisation of Local Government administration to check the excesses of certain categories of staff and wastage. They also called on the state government to prevail on the oil companies operating in the state to pay taxes to their host councils as well as look into the issue of statutory deductions made by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development from the allocations accruing to the councils. 

The verification teams called on the state government to create the platform for the emergence of credible officials to manage the third tier of government. They underscored the need to institutionalize the local government system so that the system would not be susceptible to the whims and caprices of chairmen and few highly placed officers. Leaders of the various verification teams for the local government councils at the meeting are; Senator Inatimi Rufus Spiff for Brass, Hon. Claudius Enegesi – Ogbia, Mr. Douye Diri – Kolokuma/Opokuma, Senator John Brambaifa – Sagbama, and Dr. Timiebi Okara – Yenagoa. 
 Daniel Iworiso-Markson
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa State