By Ibekimi Oriamaja
The Bayelsa State Government has stated that when their terms expire in August 2022, current elected local government council chairmen and councillors will be paid their severance packages.
Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo made the remarks during a visit to Government House in Yenagoa by the chairmen, commissioners, and permanent secretary of the Local Government Service Commission.
He noted that this was the first time in state history that elected chairmen and councilors would be paid in full at the end of their three-year terms.
Since their inception, Ewhrudjakpo stated that the state government, through his office, has assisted the eight local government councils in saving funds to ensure the payment of severance allowances is seamless.
He stated that none of the councils would hand over with a deficit balance due to the Prosperity Administration’s financial prudence template for managing the councils’ funds.
“The decisions we made, particularly regarding the financial prudence of local government councils, for which we were initially vilified and crucified, are now bearing fruit,” Ewhrudjakpo said.
“Today we are being canonized for doing the right thing.” We are settling severance for the first time, and no local government is running a deficit.
