The Bayelsa State
Government says, it has paid N10 billion as arrears of the N18,000 minimum wage as well as pensions and gratuities, it inherited from previous administrations.
The government has also saved over N800 million over the past two years from ghost workers in its payroll.
Chief press secretary to Governor Seriake Dickson, Mr Daniel Iworiso-Markson, who made these revelations in a press statement, stated that, the gains recorded were a confirmation of the Governor’s stand that those who work should be paid accordingly.
He said, “we have reduced the state’s monthly wage bill from over N5 billion, when we came on board, to less N4.4b for the workers, pensioners and political appointees, and saved over N800 million in two years.”
He explained that, the current wage bill of N4.4b included over five biannual promotions for workers and their salary arrears, stressing that, the state government has spent over N6b in clearing the backlog of the N18,000 minimum wage arrears owed workers by the Sylva administration.
“Another N4b arrears on gratuities carried over from the previous government is also being paid by this government”, remarked the CPS.
He condemned and dismissed as false, the allegations that, the recently introduced biometric exercise at the state and local government levels were designed to witch-hunt certain workers, noting that it was the figment of the imagination of mischief makers, as no worker in the state has complained of any form of victimisation.
The CPS wondered why biometric exercises that are commonplace worldwide, would become a subject of controversy in Bayelsa State.
He also used the opportunity to debunk reports that, N5m was being paid to the biometrics contractor, per local government area, arguing that, the benefits of the exercise to the state, by far outweighs the cost
He described opponents of the biometrics as members of the syndicate the exercise has blocked from feeding fat on the millions generated from ghost workers.