State government approves new wage award for all workers

In response to the economic hardship affecting workers, the Bayelsa State Government has given the approval for the disbursement of N35,000 wage awards to employees in its Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

The Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, revealed this during a visit by the leadership of the South-South Zone of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to Government House, Yenagoa.

Ewhrudjakpo revealed that Governor Douye Diri authorized the wage awards in response to the Federal Government’s call for states to utilize funds from oil subsidy removal to ease the financial burden on workers.

He said, “The effectiveness of any government is the civil service. And so, anybody who disorganises, disregards, undermines and fails to recognise 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 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.”