BAYELSA GOVT ANNOUNCES WELFARE PACKAGE IN HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION FOR WORKERS

BAYELSA GOVT ANNOUNCES WELFARE PACKAGE IN HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION FOR WORKERS

Bayelsa State Government has directed the acquisition of 100 hectares of land for the construction of low cost houses for civil servants as part of their welfare package.

Governor Seriake Dickson announced this while declaring open a 3-day retreat on Strategic Management for Permanent Secretaries in the State civil service organized by the state government in collaboration with the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, (ASCON) in Yenagoa.

The Governor said the foundation stone for the structures would be laid in the next two months at Agbura while that of the top cadre of the civil service would be located opposite the 5-star hotel both in Yenagoa, the state capital.

In addition to the existing fleet of 6 vehicles, government has promised to acquire 4 more buses for its mass transit transportation system, which is expected to take off at the end of this month.

The new mass transit transport system, he explained will greatly alleviate the plight of workers in the state.

According to Governor Dickson, “the reforms being undertaken in the civil service were geared towards enhancing the productivity and professionalism of the workforce as the civil service is the instrumentality through which government policies and programmes are implemented”.

The governor also condemned the situation whereby some personnel without any medical qualification benefit from the Medical and Health Workers Salary Scale, describing the act as not only wrong but also criminal.

Consequently, he has directed the Ministry of Finance working in conjunction with the Head of Service and Treasury Department to expunge the names of such medical workers from the special salary scale with effect from this month.

In his words, “there is an unhealthy practice in this state. There are people who are not entitled to earn the Medical and Health Workers allowance. Entitlement depends on qualification and not membership of a union. We are working together to lay a foundation of a new Bayelsa State and if we do not do so, Bayelsa will self-destruct. We must not allow this illegality and impunity to continue.”

On the need for workers to pay appropriate taxes in conformity with the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA), of the Federal Government, Governor Dickson said soon government would evolve a tax policy for the private sector in the state to enable all have a stake in the development of the state.

He explained “our government is only seeking the implementation of the PITA which is done everywhere and Bayelsa cannot be an exception. We are by so doing, taking responsibility for our development. Soon government will perfect a tax drag net that will be spread out so that everybody will have a stake in the development of the state”.

The Governor, who charged participants at the retreat to take advantage of the training to improve their service delivery, enjoined the Permnanent Secretaries to check the excesses of workers and urged them not to be deterred in the discharge of their duties.

Speaking, the state Head of Service, Sir Frazer Okuoru, said the essence of the retreat was to enhance the managerial skills of the Permanent Secretaries. Sir Frazer also expressed gratitude to Governor Dickson for the measures put in place for the welfare of workers as well as the approval to organize the retreat for Permanent Secretaries.

In his address, the representative of the Director General of the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, (ASCON), Mr. Matthew Adebola, described the retreat as relevant considering the calibre of participants to enable them tackle the increasing complexity of policy making and provision of quality service which require them to be engaged in the more effective styles of resolving crisis in the work place.

Daniel Iworiso-Markson Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa State