http://www.punchng.com/unpaid-salaries-bayelsa-workers-turn-to-begging-for-survival/

April 14, 2016

Some workers in public and civil service in Bayelsa State have turned to begging to survive the hard economic realities in the state.

It was observed that some workers, in a bid to cope with the harsh economic condition foisted on them by unpaid salaries, had devised different means to beg in order to fulfil their financial obligations.

The PUNCH learnt that the civil and public servants being owed about five months’ salaries by the Governor Seriake Dickson-led administration could no longer meet their personal and family obligations.

Many of them were said to be unable to pay their bills, children’s school fees and service their accommodation expenses.

Due to their inability to pay transportation fares, most of them could no longer attend to go to their work places and church activities while persons who managed to go end up begging for fares to go back home.

Some of them said they were dying of hunger, adding that they no longer went to work because of the lack of money for transport and feeding.

They recalled that Dickson had promised to promptly pay salaries of workers, but wondered why the governor, who was no longer executing projects, could not pay workers.

One of them, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, said he stopped going to work because the government had not paid him since November 2015.

The source, who is a manager in the government owned Izon Ibe Community Bank, confessed, “I work in the state-owned micro-finance bank, but since November, I have not been paid. I can’t go to work because I need to look for something to do to feed my family. It has been very tough. Surviving in Bayelsa State has become so difficult.

“I wonder why an oil-producing state like Bayelsa cannot pay salaries. We learnt that states like Ebonyi and Taraba, with one of the least allocations, still pay salaries. But here, we are working in an oil-producing state without salaries.”

Also, two ladies working for the state government were sighted on Imgbi Road, on Wednesday, begging passers-by for N100 to go home after attending a morning church programme in the area.

Though many people turned them down, they leapt up in joy when eventually a Good Samaritan gave the duo N500 to go home.

It was, however, learnt that the governor recently approved the payment of a month’s salary for the civil servants, but most of them had no balance left in the accounts after their banks deducted arrears of unpaid loans.

A food vendor, who identified herself simply as Emilia, said the hardship had affected her so much that most of her customers no longer patronised her.

She said, “Before, my small shop used to bubble with patronage. I would finish selling before 9pm every day.

“But everything has changed. I have reduced the quantity I cook, yet I can’t finish selling my food even up to 12am. I carry them home. I am even considering closing my shop.”

However, most residents have blamed the development on the leadership style of Dickson, saying he stifled the economy on assuming office as the governor for the second term.

An angry resident, identified simply as Emmanuel, wondered why the government was claiming that the state is poor when Dickson said he opened a dedicated account “where he saved for the rainy day.”

“The rain is now falling. People expected the governor to start using the savings of the state in paying salaries and rejuvenating the economy. Bayelsa is not supposed to be suffering. It is supposed to be a model state.”

Commenting on the situation, the Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Bayelsa State, Mr. Ndiomu George-Diepre, said the Congress was disenchanted with the development.

Though he appreciated the economic situation in the country, he, however, appealed to Dickson to pay the workers so that they could meet their personal and family obligations.

George-Diepre said, “The Congress as usual is still on the struggle. Right now, we are on the air, calling on the government to pay the unpaid salaries.

“While we understand the economic situation in the country and how it also affects the states, we are still asking that the government should pay all the outstanding salaries of workers, particularly the pensioners and of course, the local government workers.

“There are also a lot of scams and ghost workers suspected in those areas, and the governor is saying he wants to do verification and after that they will pay. But the Labour is saying that they should be paid because they have suffered for a long time.”

However, a top official in the Governor’s office said Bayelsa State was not the only state that was owing salaries, rationalising that some states were owing between seven and eight months.

The official, who did not want his name mentioned, said, “So, why is Bayelsa State so peculiar that journalists want to do a report on it?

“The Federal Government is owing. You heard the Secretary to the Government of the Federation saying the FG is owing N6bn every month. Is that not scandalous for a nation like Nigeria? Is it not more news worthy than workers resorting to begging? Check the fact, we are owing just three months.”

Mynd44, Lalasticlala

Not surprised at all.

...issookee

Vote for change, Bayelsans refused. We do not know whether if we change, things will get better but to know, we have to Change.

Hian

Eyahhhh

Abeg

Una get fuel ?

Senator Bruce should donate his March and April salaries to his real constituency.

Zombie alert

SaiBuharii:
Vote for change, Bayelsans refused. We do not know whether if we change, things will get better but to know, we have to Change.

Where is Ben Bruce, the common sense senator when you need him? He's busy tweeting trash on twitter while his constituents are begging to survive. When will he donate his salary to help the suffering Bayelsa worker?

If this is about Osun state, wailers will descend heavily on the thread calling Aregbesola so many names. Oil rich Bayelsa has not paid workers since November 2015 and nobody seems to be concerned.

What will wailers say now? I'm sure they have a justifiable reasons for this..... Hypocrites! Not to even think how much bayelsa gets as allocation

Where is Ben Bruce
Come and donate your allawe to your country men oo

Show common sense

seunmsg:
Where is Ben Bruce, the common sense senator when you need him? He's busy tweeting trash on twitter while his constituents are begging to survive. When will he donate his salary to help the suffering Bayelsa worker?

If this is about Osun state, wailers will descend heavily on the thread calling Aregbesola so many names. Oil rich Bayelsa has not paid workers since November 2015 and nobody seems to be concerned.

if this is about osun state now they would have flooded this thread like tsunami with their hypocrisy and hatred

haha.... Osun and Imo workers will soon follow suit

I can't believe dis. dis s d same state some politicians are dying to governed by force by fire?...wow!....i just believe Nigerian Politics is not build and meant 4 d people.....the approach is always divide and rule....the wise should wise up...politicians are not worth dying 4

You receive federal allocation every month. Common to pay your workers salary. It is very shameful.

aieromon:
Senator Bruce should donate his March and April salaries to his real constituency.

lol... I pray o, I don't even think he remember them when he's eating and they are starving..

Igbo come and defend ur self now

fee dee fee

Dem don use una salary bury Alams

How can Bayelsa with 13% derivation & jjust 8 LGs broke? How , Did the dickhead governor bribe every party official before securing a return ticket?


That Ben 10 twitter basketmouth will pretend this isn't happening but will shout the loudest if it's other states where their political enemies govern..

State government is the most useless level of govt in Nigeria. Bayelsa to me ought to have been one of greatest states in Nigeria. FG has never owned them their monthly allocation (including other states) even right from the days of GEJ. PMB came and even bailed them out, yet the workers are been owned. Even with all the 13 percent excess.

I guess the Bayelsa governor has put their money in fixed deposit so that he would reap from where he did not sow.

Shame to all the governors who makes business with public funds. You won't be there forever.

I guess de governors are now using IGR. Because those excess allocation isn't coming anymore. Even de IGR isn't up to anything. God help them o

This is the state that honours a convicted thief called Alamieyesiegha, who was pardoned by way of tribalism and nepotism of the highest order.

Now they are hungry, while Alamieyesiegha has saved enough for his future generations.

I hope Ben Bruce would promise to devote his salary to his actual constituency now, despite not fulfilling the promise he made to Osun state civil servants.

Okay

Was thinking the state is self sufficient
...but why the killings in trying to govern such debt ridden state Politicians sef!

I work in the sate, I was paid my January salary last week. Govt. is owing me 2 months not 5. However, lack of economic direction by FG has worsen the situation. Devalue Naira so that states get more allocation and pay staff. I have been parking in fuel cue since 3 days now. The line never reach me.

[b]I will donate my allowance to Osun workers – Murray-Bruce

The lawmaker representing Bayelsa East Senatorial District, Senator Ben Murray Bruce, has promised to donate his wardrobe allowance to the unpaid workers in Osun State.

He made this known via his Twitter handle.

For about seven months now, workers in the Osun State civil service are yet to be paid their salaries.

But in a swift reaction, the Osun State government lampooned the lawmaker , saying he was playing to the gallery just as he said he (Murray-Bruce) was trivialising the issue.

The Senator said “I, Ben Murray Bruce, will not sit down idly, while my fellow citizens die because salaries have not been paid. As a first step, I am immediately donating my wardrobe allowance to unpaid workers in Osun State and widows in my Constituency

We are starting in Osun, but we will not end there. I will do as much to help workers who’ve not been paid in other states.”
He, however, called on his friends and followers to make contributions to alleviate the plight of the workers.

He said “I call on all my friends and followers on Twitter and Facebook to donate non perishable food items for these our brothers in need. As soon as my wardrobe allowance is paid, I will divide it into two. Half will be publicly given to the NLC Chairman Osun.”

“The other half will be publicly given to the head of widows association in my community of Aksasa”, he added.
He explained that “we are starting in Osun, but we will not end there. I will do as much to help workers who’ve not been paid in other states. As soon as my wardrobe allowance is paid, I will divide it into two. Half will be publicly given to the NLC Chairman Osun.[/b]

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/06/i-will-donate-my-allowance-to-osun-workers-murray-bruce/

While his hypocrisy is motivating him to keep quiet on the suffering of his kinsmen! A man who is eager to go outside to donate while his family starves is an INFIDEL!

Na wah