Political appointees in Bayelsa State will be getting a pay slash in their salaries beginning in May, as the government has decided to cut the cost of government in order to survive the current economic downturn.
Bayelsa Governor, Seriake Dickson
Against the current economic cash crunch, the Bayelsa State Government has announced a 30 per cent pay cut for all political appointees in the state.
This was made known by the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, who spoke on Thursday, shortly after the State Executive Council meeting in the Government House, Yenagoa. He announced that the 30 per cent slash in salaries was necessitated by the prevailing economic situation.
He, however, gave a glimmer of hope for workers in the local governments, saying they would start receiving the salaries they were being owed as from Monday, May 16, 2016.
According to Obuebite, the SEC also resolved that payment of salaries would commence at the various designated centres including Peace Park, Samson Siasia Sports Complex, DSP Alamieyeseigha Banquet Hall, Izon Wari, Dr. Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre and Micro Finance Bank in Yenagoa.
Speaking alongside the Commissioner for Local Government Administration, Mrs. Agatha Goma, Obuebite noted that the council sympathised with the workers.
He added that the payment of salaries for the council workers would be based on the recently-concluded verification exercise aimed at ascertaining the actual workforce in the local governments and ensuring that the right persons were paid.
The SEC, he said, decided to set up two committees to monitor salary payment at the state and local government levels, with representatives drawn from the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria.