29th March, 2012
Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson has said something drastic
must be done to check the twin problem of over-bloated civil service
and the unacceptably high wage bill of the state.
Governor Dickson stated this while briefing the press after a meeting with the Head of Service and Permanent Secretaries in Government House, Yenagoa.
The Governor said apart from the incidence of ghost workers in the
state civil service, there are other related problems ranging from
people who receive salaries they do not deserve, people holding multiple
employment, as well as full-time students, the under-aged and people
clearly beyond retirement age, having their names in the nominal roll
and receiving salaries.
He said these problems have shot up
the monthly wage bill of public servants alone to a staggering N5.4
billion, pointing out that this trend has gravely undermined the
capacity of the state government to carry out its statutory functions.
Hon. Dickson said all hands must be on deck to check this unwholesome
development so that the funds can be freed and channeled into
infrastructural development.
According to the Governor, “there
are people who have no business being on the nominal roll who are
receiving salaries, others receive multiple salaries while some
under-aged and people above 60 years also have their names on the
nominal roll. This has brought the wage bill to N5.4 billion and this
is clearly unacceptable. It is pertinent to add that this figure of N5.4
billion does not include the emoluments of political appointees, just
civil servants alone. We must do everything to stop this unhealthy
development so that we can free the resources tied to this nefarious
activities and channel same to infrastructural development”.
To this end, Governor Dickson has directed that henceforth Permanent
Secretaries and Accountants in the various ministries will take full
responsibility for the identification of their staff and the preparation
of salary vouchers.
Heads of Departments and agencies are
also required to do the same and send them to their supervising
ministries for authentication.
The Governor, who noted that
all prepared salary vouchers must be submitted to the State Treasury on
or before the 10th of every month, said only those who are duly
authenticated will be paid their salaries.
The Governor, who
vowed to restore the lost glory of the state civil service, warned that
permanent secretaries will be held responsible for any ghost name that
finds its way into their salary vouchers.
Hon. Dickson further disclosed that the structure of the ministries in the state have been re-organised.
Some ministries have been merged, others split into two just as some
new ones were created bringing the ministry profile of the state from
twenty-one to twenty six.
The Governor, who expressed the hope
that the Permanent Secretaries will acquit themselves creditably in the
discharge of their duties, charged the workers to co-operate with the
permanent secretaries, who are the drivers of the policy machinery of
the various ministries.
Governor Dickson used the opportunity
to call on those involved in the nefarious activities of perpetrating
fraud in the system to desist forthwith or be prepared to face the
wrought of the law.
In her response, the Head of Service of
the State, Mrs. Gloria Izonfuo assured the Governor that the permanent
secretaries are dedicated and willing to put in their best to ensure
that the State civil service is returned to where it used to be.
The ministries are:-
1. Justice
2. Agriculture and Natural Resources
3. Trade, Industry and Investments
4. Education
5. Energy
6. Environment
7. Budget and Economic Planning
8. Finance
9. Women and social Development
10 Health
11 Information and Orientation
12 Local Government and Community Development
13 Youth Development
14 Sports Development
15 Water Resources
16 Works & Infrastructure
17 Transport
18 Special Duties (Bayelsa Central)
Special Duties (Bayelsa East)
Special Duties (Bayelsa West)
Special Duties (Federal programmes)
19 Science and Technology
20 Lands and Surveys
21 Housing and Urban Development
22 Culture and Ijaw National Affairs
23 Tourism Development
24 Labour, Employment Generation & Empowerment
25 Special Projects
26 State Capital Development.
Daniel Iworiso-Markson
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media & Public Affairs
(1). To showcase the aggressive developmental strides initiated by Governor Henry Seriake Dickson in 365 days. (2). To underscore the fact that the Restoration Administration has entrenched peace and security in the State, and therefore created an enabling environment to attract investments in tourism, agriculture, health, education, physical infrastructure and other sectors capable of catalyzing growth.
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