**Directs resumption of salaries payment
…As labour chairman commends Gov. Diri
…Pledges support for continuity to do more
The Governor of Bayelsa State, Sen. Douye Diri has reinstated sacked 644 NDU workers, and 60 others in College of Health Technology OTUOGIDI, and Isaac Jasper Boro COLLEGE of Education, Sagbama, totaling 704 workers.
The workers who are majorly junior staff were sacked sometime in 2018 giving room for litigation against the State Government.
Governor Diri who had earlier set up a committee to look into the matter, today pronounced the reinstainment of the affected workers, as salaries are to be paid in full, and their arrears, pensions and death benefits will be looked into.
The state chairman of the various unions under the aegis of the Higher Institutions Joint Action Committee (HIJAC), Comrade Lucky Brambaiyefa, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the governor and acknowledged that Gov. Diri has continued to show time and again that he is a labour friendly governor, who doesn’t play with workers’ welfare. And that has earned him the Labour Union’s support for another term for him to continue his good work.
Gov. Diri made the pronouncement after receiving the comprehensive report from the committee on the matter headed by the Secretary to the State Government, Alabo Gideon Ekeuwei.
“There was a lot of crying about the matter since I took over office, and so I set up a committee to look into the issue, and the committee which was chaired by the then labour leader of the House of Assembly, Hon. Ebiwou Koku Obiyai, completed their work and made their report.
Thereafter, I constituted the implementation committee that was headed by the Secretary to the State Government, Alabo Gideon Ekeuwei, and today they have come with their report of implementation.
Hence, in view of the fact that most of these people have suffered some losses, and some even died, as the Governor of Bayelsa State, having received their report, looked at their prayers and recommendations, I hereby approve all of the recommendations by the committee. They have been hereby reinstated, and their payments will commence from September 2023, while arrears and other benefits will be worked out”, the Governor stated.
