Seriake Dickson, governor of Bayelsa state, has asked civil servants in the state to brace up for tough times, saying the practice of augmenting monthly salaries with bank loans is no longer sustainable.
Addressing journalists on Thursday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state capital, Dickson said that with a monthly wage bill of N4 billion for workers, coupled with the shortfall in the monthly allocation from the federation account, it would be difficult for government to meet its financial obligation.
He said he would soon meet with stakeholders to devise a policy aimed at solving the problem of salary payment.
“There have to be some discussions with workers and stakeholders. We cannot be borrowing to pay salaries as we have been doing,” he said.
“Our workforce minus political appointees, we need about N4 billion to pay salaries; the situation is not sustainable and realistic because of our development agenda.”
While allaying fears of workers, Dickson said rather than embark on retrenchment of the workforce and the minimum wage, greater emphasis will be placed on professionalism in the civil service in his second term.
“A lot of states are going to have crisis this year, even the federation itself will face crisis and it’s not peculiar to Bayelsa state,” he said.
“It is important that the workforce in Bayelsa state should learn to appreciate these things before they jump here and there, instigated by failed politicians who couldn’t win election but know how to sponsor demonstrations of old pensioners that they couldn’t pay when they were in office.”
While admonishing civil servants in the state against unwholesome practices such as involvement in partisan politics, payroll fraud and multiple employments, he urged them to be dedicated to their duties and loyal to the government of the day.
“There are a lot of things going on; people have their names in several vouchers, earning salaries above their grade level and all of those things are going to be corrected,” he said.
“I don’t also believe that we should reduce the minimum wage but if our government is getting N3 or N4 billion and our wage bill is N4 billion, then there should be a discussion. I don’t believe that we need to retrench workers because of the economic downturn.”

https://www.thecable.ng/dickson-i-can-no-longer-borrow-to-pay-salaries

WHY YOU NO TELL US BEFORE ELECTION (DURING CAMPAIGN) NA NOW YOU COME THEY OPEN MOUTH




PDP IS APC, APC IS PDP

Bayelsa with 9 local government on a wage bill of 4 billion? hmmmm then Kano should be on a 20billion wage bill..

Borrowing Money from banks to pay workers in a small oil state like Bayelsa that still receives 13% oil derivation..

Seriake A beg receive SENSE

OZAOEKPE:
WHY YOU NO TELL US BEFORE ELECTION (DURING CAMPAIGN) NA NOW YOU COME THEY OPEN MOUTH

My brother Our politicians na scam them be all aswear

OZAOEKPE:
WHY YOU NO TELL US BEFORE ELECTION (DURING CAMPAIGN) NA NOW YOU COME THEY OPEN MOUTH

Look, this is why I keep telling you guys that you are too emotional to accept realities. When you talk about APC states or FG paying incomplete salaries I just laugh at yall.

Look, NO state is smiling at the moment. The consequences of our over-dependence on one product, oil, for forex are finally here. We shall all bear the brunt of our indiscretion together.

That said, our administrators, as a matter of urgency, need to drastically cut down on their expenditures, from the FG to the states and LGAs. We can't be going through such tough times and have them flying jets and riding on big asss 4x4s lengthy convoys.

Time to tighten our belts.

Iroh88:
Look, this is why I keep telling you guys that you are too emotional to accept realities. When you talk about APC states or FG paying incomplete salaries I just laugh at yall.

Look, NO state is smiling at the moment. The consequences of our over-dependence on one product, oil, for forex are finally here. We shall all bear the brunt of our indiscretion together.

That said, our administrators, as a matter of urgency, need to drastically cut down on their expenditures, from the FG to the states and LGAs. We can't be going through such tough times and have them flying jets and riding on big asss 4x4s lengthy convoys.

Time to tighten our belts.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
TOO LENGTHY BRO, I AM ALLERGIC TO LONG STORIES.

But make una come oo. What's the total population of Bayelsa state?? What's the population of her workforce?? How much does an average civil servant in the state earn?? How can such a small state justify a wage bill of 4billion??

I think Bayelsa desperately needs to carry out a staff audit of their civil service- it could be that every single civil servant has an invisible twin working for the state govt.

Iroh88:
But make una come oo. What's the total population of Bayelsa state?? What's the population of her workforce?? How much does an average civil servant in the state earn?? How can such a small state justify a wage bill of 4billion??

I think Bayelsa desperately needs to carry out a staff audit of their civil service- it could be that every single civil servant has an invisible twin working for the state govt.

COW IS TO KANO AS FISH IS TO BAYELSA. THE GOVERNOR COUNT FISH JOIN

Mr common sense please, proffer common sense on how to deal with the issue. In addition to what you will say, always remember to tell the Gov to cut the cost of his legislators and his aides. Mr common sense, please don't forget to tell your colleague in the Senate that their Jumbo pay is no more sustainable. Halve their salaries can put a lot of Nigerians to work.

Just making common sense.

OZAOEKPE:


COW IS TO KANO AS FISH IS TO BAYELSA. THE GOVERNOR COUNT FISH JOIN

guy abeg no make me kill my self with laugh.

Ghost workers.

Where is Ben Bruce when you need him? Instead of fighting federal government over Nasco biscuit, he should make his common sense available to his home state.

I will like to see what PDP wailers will say about this. Aregbesola was almost crucified for this same problem in Osun, let's see the excuse they will come up with for an oil rich state like Bayelsa with just eight LGA and the smallest population in the country.

Leave the office for someone that can manage it.

Small state (8 local governments),large oil derivation funds,bloated workforce made up of invisible ghost workers and a convoy of over 120 political appointees (including Ben Bruce).

The state is serious share the money.

http://www.bayelsa.gov.ng/political-appointees

I get annoyed when I read stories like this. Bayelsa is a state with 8lga's and an oil producing state with huge monthly allocation, what is the work strength of the state civil service that such a small state will have a monthly wage bill of 4 billion naira? Anambra state with 21 LGA 's or their about increased wages and are not borrowing to pay, same for Enugu, and ebonyi states. I was mad when I heard delta states monthly wage bill is close to 8billion naira and the gGovernor is struggling to pay. In delta state for instance, it is obvious we have an over bloated civil service where most workers hardly go to work. The worst is even desopadec, I can count a good number of desopadec staff who do two jobs and u hardly see them in desopadec office except at month ends. These things show that , its hardly about money but about leadership. We have men and women who are in positions of authority with no clear agenda on how to provide credible, innovative leadership. It is very unfortunate.

I laugh when states like bayelsa, Delta, Rivers and akwa ibom can't generate 300bn on there own.. ..
If given the chance, the state should just set aside 500 million to invest and if in 3 years they don't make 2 billion monthly then am a big fool

When people without economic plans rule this what u get

U have a GDP of 1 trillion dollars yet u can't pay workers

PDP yaf scammed them I laff in swahilli

PDP yaf scammed them I laff in swahilli

PDP yaf scammed them I laff in swahilli

A lot of these "oil States" pay workers to sit at home, they pay almost all their indigenes in the name of civil service and still give them scholarships to go to university.

Finally they top it up with an equal amount of ghost workers and then shout Kumbaya Lord.

Lalasticlala, if this is about Osun state, I am sure it would be on the front page by now.

The MUMU Don Use their Money Do Campaign finish....

lalasticlala

Bayelsa is a civil servant state with majority of employed people working in one sort of capacity under the state govt.


Most importantly , Bayelsa adopts federal wage scale unlike beggars in osun.

The drop in oil prices will hit hard on Bayelsa since there is hardly any industry outside oil to sustain the govt.


Bayelsa even at now is still better than osun which can't even pay half of the low sate wage which isn't up to minimum wage .

seunmsg:
Lalasticlala, if this is about Osun state, I am sure it would be on the front page by now.

This means he's about to sack workers.

After all the campaign

After you don win election why you no go dey spew trash

Lmao, Dickson yaff scam them hin people.. Hope the Twitter WarLord will preach some common sense to Dickson or he will just siddon look as he does at the senate

This is a big shame, what happened when it was all well and fine?

To think that after all is said and done, you just contested badly in order to still lead Bayelsa State again, if you were short of ideas you would have just stepped aside.




ThefakeStan

ok

I thought PDP GOVERNORS have special TREASURY where they get fund from or are they not the performing GOVERNORS again? when you are telling these PDP rats to look beyond party and understand that Jonathan and his team had ruin this country before Buhari took over they keep saying trash. what Nigeria is facing today is a general problem facing all oil dependent countries but unlike Nigeria other countries were able to save during the oil price boom. but instead of saving, Jonathan was given out dollars as bribe.
If you guys don't know, presently in Russia, individuals invest(buy and store dollars) in dollar just like properties that are expected to earn more in future. that is how bad it is, and I will advice us to better channel our strength towards encouraging the FG to carry out the necessary probe on the budget and also encourage the Senate to do d needful and pass the budget as soon as possible so that as contracts are being awarded and payment are made, more dollars can be inject into the system, otherwise, we will soon welcome 1dollar@ #500. that is an oil producing state governor complaining despite taking 13%deivative.

Hnnmmm

lonelydora:
This means he's about to sack workers.

After all the campaign

....naso the drama unfolds