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.
It was 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.”
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