Monday, 6 February 2017
Bayelsa workers, govt on collision course
The Bayelsa Government and its workforce have disagreed on the exact outstanding salary arrears owed civil servants in the state.
The workers claimed that they were being owed six months salary backlog, while government officials put the arrears at three months.
The Bayelsa House of Assembly on Tuesday, in a closed-door session, approved a N3 billion loan request from the executive arm to purchase cars for legislators and security agencies.
The development attracted criticisms from civil servants in the state, who said that seeking a loan to purchase the cars at a time the state government owed workers six months salary arrears was insensitive.
Reacting to the development, Mr Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Seriake Dickson denied in a statement that the government was owing workers for six months.
According to him, the government is owing workers only three months salaries.
The statement restated the governor’s commitment to running a transparent system, where the welfare of workers and the citizenry remains a priority.
“It is therefore not true that government is owing six months salary of workers, as alleged in some of the media reports.
“Rather, government is making conscious efforts to clear all outstanding salaries and has even gone ahead to pay in full, the salary for the month of January,” Iworiso-Markson said.
However, labour leaders and civil servants maintained that the government was yet to clear a backlog of the six months salary arrears being owed the state workers.
Chairman of Bayelsa chapter of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr Tari Dounana and his Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) counterpart, John Ndiomu, insisted that the government is owing the workers six months salary.
Dounana said, “The facts are there and we cannot be lying on issues like this, I can be quoted on this.
“Workers are having salary arrears of six months and we met with government on this issue only last week.
“It is likely that those claiming that we are not being owed do not have the details, we met with the government finance team and they set up a committee to work out the payment plan,” Dounana said.
A civil servant, Ebi Douye provided further details on the salary situation in Bayelsa.
“The arrears is six months, we are keeping records, January 2015 salary was paid full in April 2015. February and March 2015 salaries were not paid.
“From April to September, half salaries were paid. December salary has not been paid.
“The three full salaries not yet paid, plus half of the six months makes it six months of unpaid salaries,” Douye said.
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My community ostracised me because of my wife’s bad behaviour, man tells court
Abuja – A civil servant, Thomas Enemaku, on Monday told a Jikwoyi Customary Court, Abuja, that his people ostracised him because of his wife’s bad behaviour.
The petitioner who testified in a divorce petition he filled against his wife, Victoria Aladi, also said that his wife has no respect for his relatives.
“My wife doesn’t respect my relatives, she beat up my elder sister who came to assist her when she put to bed.
“She went about telling people that she beat up a woman who came to spy her home. For that reason I was ostracised,” he said.
Enemaku said that his wife no longer cooks food for him.
“My wife doesn’t cook for me anymore, sometimes she would wait for me to go out and eat before she cooks for the children.
“Even on new year day, I had to go to a friend’s place to eat,” he added.
The petitioner also told the court that his wife makes his blood pressure to rise.
“Living with my wife is a threat to my live. We never agree on issues, she is always making trouble with me, whenever we engage in such troubles, my blood pressure rises almost to a critical level.
“The other day she wanted to break my head with the a pestle, it was my neighbours that came to my rescue,” he said.
He begged the court to grant him divorce in order to save his life.
Victor was not present in court, while the judge, Everyman Eleanya, adjourned the case to Feb. 9 for continuation of hearing.
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Protest: Police take over Lagos roads
The police on Monday took over strategic locations in Lagos metropolis in readiness for the anti-government protest initially planned by popular musician Tuface Idibia alias 2baba.
The popular musician cancelled the protest on Sunday citing “security concerns and public safety consideration’’.
However, some groups vowed to go ahead with the protest in spite of the cancellation by its initiator.
Over 100 policemen were seen as early as 7.00 am at the National Stadium, Surulere, the planned take-off point of the protest.
The police team, led by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, came to the National Stadium, with over 15 vehicles and one Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC).
Other locations in Lagos metropolis with heavy police presence were the Gani Fawehinmi’s Freedom Square, Ojota and the National Theatre, Iganmu.
At 9.00 a.m., a group of about 100 protesters from different groups had gathered at the National Stadium awaiting the arrival of other members of the group.
Speaking with newsmen at the stadium, Owoseni said that the police presence was not to stop the protest, but to maintain law and order during the procession.
The main entrance to the stadium, which was initially locked, was opened for the public to use the facility on the orders of the police commissioner.
Yemi Adamolekun, the Executive Director, OneVoiceNigeria, told newsmen at the venue that the coalition was not discouraged by the last minute cancellation of the protest by Tuface.
She said the protest was not about Tuface Idibia, but about Nigeria.
The planned protest had gained momentum with several public figures and civil society groups pledging to be part of it.
Tuface had called for nationwide protest against what he claimed as the worst economic crisis in the country which saw the costs of goods and services skyrocketing, with many families struggling to survive.
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