May Day: Hope rises on payment of backlog of promotion arrears owed workers in Bayelsa -As Governor Diri kicks off implementation of his electioneering campaign promises

By Our Reporter

There are strong indications that workers in Bayelsa state may smile home in this year’s May Day celebration as expectations were very high over payment of backlog of promotion arrears owed civil servants in the state to mitigate the current economic hardship arising from the outbreak of corona virus in the country and the 2016 economic recession.

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa state

This was not unconnected with Governor Douye Diri’s commencement on implementation of his electioneering promises in the state including according the civil service a pride of place in his administration on inception to office on February 14, this year.

 It would be recalled that Governor Diri while unveiling his manifesto at Ernest Ikoli Press Centre in Yenagoa, last year, had promised to accord high premium to the welfare of civil servants and retirees in the state, amongst his development agenda for the state.

 Thus, it is enthusiastic to note that on assumption to office the governor has live up to expectation by implementing the payment of the new minimum wage, pensioners gratuity as well as ensuring prompt payment of salaries and pensions.

      In a chat with Global Overseer Reporter on their major expectations on this year’s May Day celebration on Friday, most of the workers who spoke on condition of anonymity unanimously identified the payment of backlog of promotion arrears owed them by the immediate past administration as their number one expectation from the present administration on the workers day celebration.

     This, they appeal, has become imperative, pointing out that it would alleviate the plight of workers in state arising from the 2016 economic recession, which many of them uptil now were unable to offset debts owed.

     It would be recalled that the immediate past Governor who is nicknamed Talk-na-do, had pledged to pay these backlog of promotion arrears on the occasion of the 2019 Workers Day Celebration at Peace Park in Yenagoa, where he was physically present and made the promise, which was widely circulated in the print, electronic and social media.

 Sadly, after all approvals money was not released to effect the payment until he left office.The NLC State Chairman Comrade Bipre John Ndiomu in his keynote address at the event, last year, appealed to the Governor to pay promotion arrears and he accepted to effect the payment.

 

Comrade John Bipre Ndiomu, NLC Chairman, Bayelsa state