BAYELSA GOVT ATTRIBUTES DELAY IN PAYMENT OF SALARIES TO INCESSANT SHIFTS IN FAAC MEETING

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson has made further clarification on the causes of the delays in the payment of salaries of civil servants, re-affirming that his administration is not owing workers in the state. Making the clarification in Yenagoa in an interview with newsmen in Yenagoa, Governor Dickson maintained that the delay in salary payment was attributable to the delay in the Federal Allocation Accounts Committee meeting.According to him, the state government cannot do otherwise, as every state in the country depend solely on revenue from the federation account to pay the wages of workers and if there is a delay in the holding of the monthly FAAC meeting, definitely salaries cannot be paid as at when due. Reminding Bayelsans that, the country is currently grappling with economic downturn, Governor Dickson noted that, the State was managing to stay afloat, in view of government’s prudence in the management of its scarce resources, stressing that the economic situation has compelled the government to commit all the available funds to salary payment.He said projects and other development activities have been put on hold for now as a result of funding challenges, stating that some contractors in the state were being owed to the tune of N10 to N15 million.

The Governor therefore called for understanding and patience from the people, stressing that his administration is averse to mortgaging the future of Bayelsans by committing the state to unnecessary credit facilities to administer the affairs of the state.

His words: “I do not want to commit the state to unnecessary borrowing and mortgage your future, because I love my people, I love my state, I am not like others, who will go and take facilities and loans and they do not care what happens to the people, that is why we have not signed on the bailout funds because I am not satisfied that we will not be mortgaging the future of our people.”

“It is a general challenge we are all facing, even at the federal level and all the state; the country is in a very serious situation. Banks are laying off people, companies too, but our state will not lay off people. We, are not owing the workers and we are managing to pay salaries, even at the expense of my own allowances for months and those around me, these are sacrifices we are making that people out there may not know.”

“Most Governors would not mind and these are the characters that we have around who want to be your Governor. I am not like that; I care about what happens to this state, even after my tenure.”

Governor Dickson pointed out that, this was part of the reason why the government was hesitant in accessing the bailout funds from the Federal Government, adding that, the development has made the government reluctant in creating employment, in order not to increase the wage bill.