Wage Bill Fraud: Bayelsa Govt Recovers, Saves 684M From LGAs Alone



- HOS, Labour Deny Sack of 28, 000 Workers
- Rumours of Sack, Handiwork of Opposition
By Pat PA Okon
                                                                         

The Bayelsa State Government has revealed that, the ongoing reforms in the public service has continued to yield positive results, as it is currently saving about 684 million Naira annually from the review of the grade levels of workers at the Local Government level alone.

Making the revelation at a joint media briefing of top government functionaries in Government House, Yenagoa, the State Commissioner for Local Government Administration, Mrs. Agatha Goma, explained that, the review of the grade levels of workers was to ensure that, Local Government staff are at their appropriate grade levels as well as check cases of arbitrary promotions. 

According to her from the exercise, which was carried out by the Local Government Service Commission, the Government made savings of about N57 million monthly, adding that, part of the efforts to clean up the problems, include physical assessment of workers to identify over aged persons, review of the certificates presented by workers to ascertain the validity  of those certificates.

In a press statement by the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, Mrs. Goma pointed out that, as a result of the reforms being carried out since 2012, the wage bill of the state has been reduced from over N6 billion Naira in 2012 to about 3.8 billion Naira in 2018, stressing that, the local government councils now have the capacity to also pay salaries of workers promptly.

In his remarks, the Head of Service, Reverend Thomas Zidafamor, urged Bayelsans to discountenance the rumours that, the Government has sacked 28, 000 workers, pointing out that, it was the handiwork of a misinformed opposition.

According to him, the fact that organised labour in the state is in a harmonious relationship with the state government on the reforms, shows that the information and the rumours being peddled are a not only cooked up, but also a figment of their imagination.

He challenged those peddling falsehood about the reforms to publish the names of the sacked workers, describing the statement as a figment of their imagination.

Also speaking, a member of the State House of Assembly representing Yenagoa Constituency 2, Hon. Ebiwou Koku-Obiyai, stressed the need for Bayelsans to embrace the reforms and support the government in cleansing the service of all forms of sharp practices.

She said the state government has been carrying out reforms in the public service to address the rot in the system and the attendant over bloated wage bill.

According to her, the major issues being tackled, include ghost workers, unapproved employments, inflated grade levels, replacement of names of dead workers, inflated payrolls as well as workers with multiple employment, absenteeism among others.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Employment, Labour and Productivity, Chief Collins Cocodia, thanked Governor Seriake Dickson for the approval of immediate employment of 1,000 graduate youths into the civil service.

He also commended the state government for its approval for the training of about 2000 public servants in partnership with some reputable organizations such as Google Skill Africa and Digital Bridge Institute.

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