The governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has set up a committee to work out modalities for the implementation of a new minimum wage for workers in the state civil service, saying that until the committee submits its report on May 31, 2024, the state government will not announce its decision on the demand for a new minimum wage.
The committee is headed by Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei, while the Head of Service, Mrs. Biobelemoye Charles-Onyeama, the Commissioner for Finance, Maxwell Ebibai, his Labour, Productivity, and Employment counterpart, Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, and the Chief of Staff, Government House, Dr Peter Akpe, are members.
Senator Diri made the pronouncement on Wednesday at the 2024 Workers Day celebration at the Peace Park in Yenagoa, where he assured that his administration would implement a new minimum wage once the committee submits its report, saying that the state workers always had emoluments as their federal counterparts.
He stressed that the welfare of workers had always been a top priority of his administration, as attested to by the numerous worker-friendly policies he initiated.
Governor Diri equally promised to commence the building of a new, befitting secretariat complex for civil servants to accommodate the increasing workforce.
The state’s helmsman, who described workers as the backbone of development in society, attributed the achievements in his first tenure to the support and contributions of civil servants.
He called for a continuous harmonious working relationship with his government in order to bequeath lasting legacies.
The Bayelsa helmsman also approved an annual step increment for civil servants and the release of funds for the completion of the state secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
He said, “I hereby set up a committee comprising the Head of Service, the Commissioner for Finance, the Chief of Staff, Government House, the Honourable Commissioner for Labour, Employment, and Productivity, and to be headed by the Secretary to the Government of Bayelsa State.
“This committee is to immediately look into what the Federal Government has done on the proposed minimum wage and see the possibility of domiciling it in Bayelsa State. It has until the end of May to submit its report.
“My dear workers of Bayelsa, you have done so well. You know that you are the engine room of this government. We have succeeded because you have done so well. We receive commendations everywhere we go.
“In terms of infrastructure, human capacity building, and other sectors, we have done well. I say you should continue to keep it up.
“Together, we are building a Bayelsa state of our dreams, a beacon of hope, a model of progress, and a testament to our unity of purpose. The tangible evidence of these fruitful collaborations is that abundantly, we have made it clear for all to see in the plethora of transformative legacy projects that now span the length and breadth of our state, touching the lives of all Bayelsans.
“Let us continue to work together so that the future of our state will be established. Beyond the ongoing renovation, we will look at the option of building a new state-of-the-art secretariat complex to accommodate the expanding workforce.”
Meanwhile, in a joint address by the chairman of the NLC, Comrade Barnabas Simon, and his TUC counterpart, Comrade Laye Julius, the workers specifically thanked the governor for approving the payment of wage awards to all categories of workers in the state, for the regular conduct of promotions exercises and implementation, and for prompt payment of salaries of workers and pensioners, among others.
The workers said: “Organised labour in Bayelsa is most sincerely grateful for your kind and favourable disposition to the needs and aspirations of workers in the state. Your open-door policies and swift response to most of our demands in the last four years are highly appreciated.”
They, however, appealed for an upward review of the wage award, an improved transportation system for workers, and the mapping out of acquired lands for civil servants.
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