Bayelsa Reforms: Dickson Directs Employment of 1000 Workers

By Pat PA Okon

Bayelsa State Governor, Honourable Seriake Dickson on Friday, directed the State Civil Service Commission to commence the process of recruiting 1000 young graduates, cutting across the 8 Local Government Areas of the State.

Governor Dickson, who gave the directive while speaking in a live radio and television interview in Yenagoa, said they would write an entry examination to qualify for employment into the public service.

He noted that, the assessment has become imperative as part of efforts to promote efficiency, competence and discipline in the public service, as the ongoing reforms is geared towards strengthening the service.

In a press statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Francis Ottah Agbo, Governor Dickson, who revealed that, about a thousand workers with questionable certificates have been identified so far by the staff verification team, expressed displeasure over the situation whereby those with genuine certificates are made to work as temporary staff.

His words:” All those, who want to make a career in the civil service, particularly young graduates that, these reforms will throw a lot of opportunities to you.

“I have just directed the recruitment of 1000 young graduates and the process will commence soon. In the next couple of days or weeks, I will also inaugurate the, Back To Productivity Project, which is aimed to encouraging those, who want to start-up businesses of their own, including those, who want to voluntarily leave the public service.”

On the issue of the recent posthumous award bestowed on Chief Moshood Abiola and others, the Governor described it as belated, but a commendable move and expressed his reservations about the timing and circumstances of the gesture.

To this end, Governor Dickson called on the Federal Government “to demonstrate the same presidential leadership and direction on the issue of restructuring the country”, emphasizing that, “President Muhammadu Buhari would go down in history as a great Nigerian President” who responded to the yearnings of the citizenry.

“I think fundamentally, the act itself is a noble one. I congratulate the awardees and the president. I am in support of what has been done, even though the timing of it and the circumstances, have given some coloration to it. There issues of megalith raised but I think the substance of it is commendable.”

Governor Dickson also reiterated his call on the Federal Government to withdraw the Waterway Management Bill, describing it as obnoxious, provocative and an attempt to centrally control the people’s source of livelihood, “at a time we are talking of the right to control our resources.”

“We condemn that Executive Bill. We have spoken against it. Its obnoxious, offensive and an attempt to centrally control our source of livelihood. As Chairman of the South-South Governors Forum, I have called on the President to withdraw it. We will mobilize against it. The timing makes it more provocative.”

Responding to issues on the environment, Governor Dickson expressed grave concern over the degradation of the ecosystem by the activities of international oil companies.

He reiterated his call for urgent remediation of oil spill sites, stressing that the health implications arising from such pollution has reached an alarming level.