NONE PAYMENT OF SALARIES: BAYELSA GOVT. ACCUSED OF CAUSING SUDDEN DEATHS OF CIVIL SERV

Comrade Okiringbo Wariebi Michael

The Bayelsa State Government has come under strong accusation of being responsible to the early deaths of some civil servants and members of their families by reasons of none payment of salaries of civil servants.
In a statement jointly signed by the Chairman and  Secretary of the State Chaper of the Radio, Television, Theartre and Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU), Comrade Okiringbo Wariebi Michael and Comrade Toboulayefa Yebufura called on the Hon. Serieke Dickson led administration not to shy away from the responsibility of paying workers salaries which makes the list of first priorities to every administration that is sensitive to the wellbeing and prosperity of her citizens.
They argued that the governor knows that by his refusal to pay workers as at when due, allegedly caused  the death of some Civil Servants and pensioners who died of either hunger or lack of adequate medical care to themselves or love ones.
The RATTAWU leaders observed with concern that out of the six states in the South-South geopolitical zone only Bayelsa is indebted to civil servants,
Comrades Okiringbo Michael and Toboulayefa Yebufura who said the present administration in Bayelsa subjected the workers to poverty, lack, limitation and sorrow during the Xmas festivities 2015 to the new year because of none payment of the salaries of workers in the state, should now have a change of heart or face dire consequences.
They remarked that the state government has no justification whatsoever not to pay workers salaries for months, emphasizing that it is a Constitutional duty of the state to source for funds from wherever to pay salaries
Here this:
"When we saw in the pages of newspapers and via other information networks that the Bayelsa State Government took  bailout funds  from the Federal Government to the tune of #12.85bn we took it as a welcome development, and thoughtful that the governor was going to use the money judiciously by paying the salaries of workers. Instead of payment, there has been denials by the governor himself and his cronies that Bayelsa State has not gone for such bailouts.
" As far as we know there is a clear evidence against the governor, whether he collected the said  amount or not there is negligence and insensitivity to the plight of the people. If  he collected the bailout, why has he not paid the salaries? And if  he did not, why not, when other state governors concerned about the well being of their pepole go for the bailout to pay salaries."
They have therefore called on the Bayelsa State government to pay the backlog of arrears of salaries without further delay or face unpleasant consequences with RATTAWU, they warned!